


Entwined

by Justabitoftime



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Imprinting, Multi, No Slash, Polyamory, Soul Bond, Soulmates, Volturi, Wolf Pack
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-09
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-01-15 05:04:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 99,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1292419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Justabitoftime/pseuds/Justabitoftime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A bond, centuries old, has finally completed, and the Volturi Kings have found their mate at last. But when the Spirits unite old enemies, what new dangers could be lurking on the horizon? *B/A/M/C, Wolf-pack, vampires. Lemons. Poly, no-slash.*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **I do not now, nor have I ever, owned Twilight in any of its forms. I make no money from this. I am not associated with Twilight in any way outside of Fan Fiction. ******
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> I have no Beta, or anyone else checking my work. All mistakes are my own.

Chapter 1

Marcus sat, as he had done for centuries. To all who watched him he appeared bored, disinterested and thoroughly depressed. He seldom spoke, and when he did his tone was dull and flat, never for a second seeming to invite conversation or inspire even a modicum of excitement.

His brothers knew differently. Marcus was an integral part of the Volturi triumvirate. His ability to see and interpret the type and strength of bonds set before him was instrumental in mediating and judging the vampire world. Order needed to be maintained and Volturi had been successful doing so for a thousand years.

Marcus himself was over three thousand years old. Born in ancient Greece before either of his vampire brothers, and turned just shy of his twentieth year, he was wise, caring, and a romantic at heart. His personality did not carry the extremes of Aro's or Caius's, so he often found himself tempering their arguments and arbitrating peace. To some it may have seemed a thankless repetition, but it was Marcus's strength, and he was happy. He had been blessed with soul-brothers, and nothing could tear them apart.

That was the secret few knew. Marcus, contrary to appearances, had not been bored for a millennium and a half. He had been fascinated.

\----

Aro had been turned in his early twenties. As a human, and then a vampire, he was enthralled by all human life had to offer. While some others may have viewed their eternal existence as a curse, dragging on unceasingly, Aro felt that his unlife had been one new experience followed by another. And they were all to be enjoyed. The changes to human thought & culture - religion, philosophy, science, art, music, gender roles, and family units - were something that had amazed him throughout his long years. They were slow, small, fast, profound, and every degree in between. Changes to the humans way of life and thinking were constant. So different from the vampire way.

And the technology! Especially in the last several decades, it seemed as though there was not enough time to understand one technological marvel, even for his superior brain, before another was introduced to replace it. Aro had made it his personal hobby to try each new offering, and so the residents of the castle had seen practically every commercially available invention since the introduction of the light bulb and the telephone in the late 1800s.

Aro's enthusiasm for all of this made him seem a bit manic. Usually he was charming and quick witted. To vampires outside of his coven he presented a sort of gleeful madness and had gained a reputation for being cunning and ruthless. It was said that he searched out talent and destroyed covens without mercy at the smallest infraction, just to collect their gifted members.

But the truth was that all Aro had done since taking over governance of the vampire world, and his excessively happy personality, was not a facade, and not without reason.

Aro was filled with hope and nervous anticipation. He and his brothers had been expecting their mate for a fifteen hundred years, and had taken their world in hand to ensure peaceful coexistence with humans. Even if the humans weren't aware. Even if they regarded most humans as food. The brothers knew the day their mate had been born. For the last eighteen years, they and an elite few of their most trusted guards had been searching for her. Although their efforts had been fruitless, Aro felt like their long-awaited meeting was imminent.

\----

Few who met Caius had very many nice things to say about him. He was impatient, discourteous and had a quick and viciously cruel temper. He was the most easily provoked, the hardest to calm, and were it not for his brothers, Caius himself was certain he would have decimated half the vampire population by now. 

Those who knew him best knew other things about him. For Caius, like Marcus and Aro, was more than the stern ill-tempered front he portrayed. The white-haired vampire king was a handsome man, turned in his early thirties, and an excellent strategist and battle-leader. He was a patron of the arts, as well as an artist himself. Throughout the centuries, many a painter, sculpture or musician had been funded by Caius, and the castle was full of original works that humans did not even realize existed. Caius spent a great deal of time in his own studio in the castle, and digging his hands into granite, marble or clay to produce something worthy went a long way toward relieving his foul moods.

Nothing could fully soothe the frustration Caius had had to endure since being told of the mate he and his brothers shared. For fifteen centuries Marcus had been able to see every nuance of their bond, every subtle change. And Aro had been able to see it for himself with a simple touch of Marcus's skin. But Caius had not had that privilege. He would never be able to see for himself the absolute beauty that his brothers described to him; no matter how intricate the detail imparted, he knew he would never be able to reproduce its magnificence. He felt excluded, as though he did not know his mating bond as well as his brothers did, and that saddened and angered him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Marcus knew when he had first laid eyes upon Aro, and then Caius, that they were meant to pass through existence together. He had turned them both within a few years of each other, understanding that the three of them were uniquely bonded. He had had a decade since his turning to discover and gain an understanding of his gift, but he hadn't seen a bond like theirs before. He, Aro, and Caius were each linked with thick, glowing lines - he to Aro and to Caius and they back to him and to each other. No bond-line was more or less than the other; the whole bond was a study in perfect equality and meaningful synchronicity.

The bond looked to Marcus to be nearly identical to the mating bonds he had seen. The bond was alive, bright, golden and shining. It flowed with purpose and passion, but the three vampires did not feel passion for each other, and that had confounded Marcus in the beginning. He knew immediately that his relationship with Aro and Caius would be eternal, and nothing, short of final death, would separate them. But he didn't know why. Not having a more accurate description of their relationship, they began to refer to themselves as brothers.

They had spent the first several centuries of their time together learning about each other, and indulging their animalistic natures. Most vampires of that time did not work especially hard to hide themselves. The largest and most feared coven in the vampire world made their home in Romania. The Dacian coven was sadistic, territorial, and under the impression they ruled the vampire world. Myth and superstition abounded, and there was no incentive to be circumspect. News and rumours travelled slowly; an entire village could be annihilated, the inhabitants devoured and the buildings and livestock set alight, with no one knowing for weeks. It was a time of feral excess, and terror added an extra sweetness to the blood.

A few short years into their time, the brothers decided to take companions. They believed their bond was so intense that it would inhibit or even prevent them from ever finding mates. Caius had met Athenodora first; as the oldest-turned out of the three, he had felt the need for a female presence in his life and in his bed before the others. Sulpicia and Didyme had joined them soon after. Didyme was Aro's blood sister, who he had loved very much. He was excited to share his unlife with her, and Marcus had found her attractive and very pleasant company. To be in a room with her was to be happy, a gift that Aro didn't find particularly useful, but which made coven life quite harmonious. The three couples were entirely content with their arrangement.

With their coven now quite large, the brothers decided to find a permanent dwelling place, and to sophisticate themselves above their most primal urges. Eventually, they settled in Volterra, Italy. Marcus himself had chosen the town and destroyed the vampires who claimed the territory. They settled within the main castle in the town, with the blessings of the thankful citizens.

They found satisfaction in their somewhat civilized state. They realized they could live discretely among the humans in Volterra, and began to call themselves Volturi. The three couples began to take an interest in the species as more than just their food source. They began to understand that the current way of vampire life was not ideal. Eventually, humans would fight back, and it could end in catastrophe for both prey and predator.

With that thought in mind, they began to plan. The leaders of the Dacian coven, Stefan and Vladimir, were a thousand years older than the brothers, and maintained their superiority through shear brute force and strength in numbers. They were not stupid, by any means, but they had grown complacent over their long period at the top of the food chain.

The three brothers, along with their companions, decided to enlarge their coven and overthrow the Romanians. They knew that it would take many vampires to defeat the ancient coven, but they had the time, the will, and they knew that such a blatant challenge would be unexpected.

During that time Marcus kept a casual eye on their bond. It did not appear absolute, as every soul-bond should be. Rather, Marcus got a sense that it was evolving, but he could not fathom the outcome.

Then, around two thousand years ago, he had noticed the first real evidence of change in their bond. Each of the six lines connecting the brothers began to swell at its midpoint, like the branch of a tree awaiting the bud of life. The brothers were mystified and Marcus began to study the bond more closely.

When the Volturi felt sufficiently prepared, they went to war. For over a hundred years they fought, with many vampires on both sides losing their immortal lives. And throughout that time, the bond continued to change, until, toward the end of the century, the buds broke, tightly furled, from the brothers' bond-lines, each identical to the other, and Marcus knew.

Their bond would indeed prevent a mating bond from being created, as he had seen it created in so many other vampires. There would be no lines springing forth from him and his brothers and reaching for the line sprung forth from their mates. Instead, the mating bond for the brothers was already a part of the bond they shared. It originated within, and both nurtured their bond and was nourished by it. Marcus also knew that he and Aro and Caius would share a mate, and that she was not yet born.

His brothers and their companions were delighted. Sulpicia, Athenodora and Didyme had been nearly as interested in Marcus's sight as his brothers. While the three brothers had never thought that they would find mates, the possibility was always there for the sisters, and so there was no distress with the newest realization.

Now, however, the brothers had a greater reason to ensure stability within their world. Their mate would not be born into chaos, fear and despair caused by the supernatural. They knew they could not control changes within the human world, and they had no idea when their mate would enter this world, but they would maintain order amongst the vampires of the world.

With that added resolve, they began to actively search out humans they hoped would become gifted vampires. Aro eventually found the twins, Jane and Alec, and when they were turned, the tide of the war turned with them. The Romanian coven was utterly destroyed; the only survivors the two leaders.

Centuries more passed. The Volturi were the undisputed governors of vampires. Their rules were firm, and lawbreakers were swiftly dealt with. The number of gifted within their coven grew, and soon no one dared oppose them. The brothers were called Masters and Kings, and their desire for order within the vampire world was fulfilled.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Bella collapsed in a heap on the wet, cold forest floor, her voice raw from screaming her heartbreak, her frigid body shaking with tears. She felt like she had just lost so much more than Edward and the Cullens - so much more than brothers, sisters, and caring parents. She felt as though something, some undefined cosmic stepping stone, had just been ripped away and she was teetering on the edge of her destiny, the obstacles in her path daunting. It left her feeling bewildered and empty and hopeless.

She didn't know how long she lay there before she was found and carried home; she only knew that the arms felt too hot, the gait was too uneven, and the pace too slow. All of this registered in the back of her mind, but just as quickly flitted out again in a wave of uncaring despair.

She heard her father thanking someone in whispered tones. She heard "Cullens" and "gone" and tried not to hear any more. She was barely aware of the doctor checking her over and a nurse helping dry her off and put her into clean pajamas. Hot arms picked her up, and she felt herself being carried and deposited beneath warm blankets on her bed.

That night Bella dreamed. She was happy, laying with Edward in their meadow. The wildflowers were in full bloom, swaying in the summer breeze. It was a bright, warm day, and Edward was casting prisms over the surrounding petals, enhancing the already dazzling array of colours. Her head was resting on his shoulder and he was holding her tattered copy of Romeo and Juliet, smiling slightly as she read aloud from it.

Suddenly, book, man and meadow began to fade, disappearing like fog beneath a hot sun. The ground beneath her turned wet and cold, and when she looked around, she was standing on a glacier, surrounded by ice and snow. The brilliant sun reflected blindingly off of every surface, and Bella raised her hand to shield her eyes as she began to shiver violently.

"Edward?" she cried, "Edward! Where are you?" Spinning around, she searched the landscape frantically, lips turning blue and teeth chattering. Her eyes passed over a shape in the distance and then returned to it almost immediately.

"Edward! What happened? Wait for me!" She stumbled toward him, tripping with lack of coordination. Her breath came in great, frenetic heaves, and her heart pounded wildly. The sun made the figure in the distance blur, and for a moment she saw not one, but three shapes.

"I'm coming!" she panicked. "Don't go!"

She ran and began to make out the silhouette of Edward's wild hair in the glaring light. She raced closer and vaguely sensed the presence of more shadows behind him. In that moment it became more important to reach them instead of Edward. She launched herself past Edward, but he reached out, caught her, and with a cruel, mocking laugh, thrust her to the ground away from him and her new purpose.

She jumped to her feet, prepared to run once more, when the ground directly in front of her split wide open, an impassible crevasse separating her from the blurry figures and a still sneering Edward.

"Poor little pet," he taunted. "Barely interesting enough to be a distraction. Stupid enough to believe a vampire could ever love you. Look at me! I am superior in every way! Even the temptation of your blood and silent mind faded to boredom. What your soul seeks you will never find. You'll never be worth anything now."

Bella sat straight up in bed, a scream ripping hoarsely from her tight, dry throat. She began to weep, just as Charlie threw open the door to her room and rushed in, gathering her in his arms and rocking her gently.

"Quiet, Bella. Hush now. You're home safe. You're going to be fine," he repeated over and over again, trying to calm her down. He barely heard her mumbled reply as she drifted back to sleep.

"I couldn't get to them. How will I meet them? I need them..."

 

Over the next couple of months, Bella's nights were often interrupted by the same dream. Lack of sleep turned her complexion grey with fatigue, dark circles taking residence beneath her eyes. Her appetite left her and she lost weight she barely had to lose. Charlie wasn't sure how to handle her; he tried to be gentle when she awoke at night, but he was never sure if it helped. Often, he heard her crying out for someone, and he sensed it was not the Cullens. He tried to ask her who she needed to meet, but she seemed as lost as he.

In desperation he asked Billy for advice. He had two daughters, after all, even if they had left home before they were twenty and rarely saw their father or brother. But Billy had been so distraught by his wife's death, that he admitted to barely being aware of his children's grief.

"At least you noticed, Charlie," he said, lingering traces of self-contempt lacing his tone. "I couldn't see that Jacob and the girls were hurting as much as I was. By the time I started to come to terms with Sarah's death, Rachel and Rebecca had left, and Jake was here alone, taking care of his disabled old man."

"Jake doesn't blame you, Billy," Charlie began gruffly, "and I'm not grieving like you were. There is no excuse for me to not notice." 

Billy only nodded his head, regret still marring his expression. "How about I get Jacob to come over and see Bella tomorrow? They've always got along well, and he might be able to at least distract her, if not cheer her up a bit."

And so they made a plan, and while the two of them went fishing, Jacob began the process of bringing Bella back to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Bella awoke three Saturdays later to fingers poking her ribs. She shifted, cocooning herself in her blanket and heard a low, chuffing laugh. Seconds later, cool air intruded around her ankles, and her foot was grasped firmly in one hand, while another mercilessly attacked her very ticklish sole.

"Damn it, Jake! What the hell?!" Bella uselessly tried to pull her foot away, kicking at the laughing young native with her free leg. "You woke me up, you ass. And I had just gotten back to sleep. What are you doing here?"

Jake tried to look contrite, but his effort caused Bella to snort, roll her eyes at him and hit him with her pillow. Jake had been around a lot since their dads decided he needed to help her. That first day he hauled her out of her bed and threw her into the bathroom with an order to shower. Then he dragged her out to La Push and sat her on the ratty old love seat in his garage, with a bottle of water and a banana. He proceeded to work on his Rabbit, all the while sending a steady stream of conversation her way. She was sure now that he could have continued talking with no input from her, but even in her dismal state that seemed rude. So without really paying attention to the words, she managed to find a rhythm of assorted noises that seemed appropriate

She didn't realize she had fallen asleep until she woke in a cold sweat three hours later. She was pale, sweaty and shaky, and very much felt like throwing up the banana and water she had somehow managed to consume. That was the first time she had told Jake about her dreams, although she left out Edward's exact comments, only saying that he had been cruel and hurtful. It helped. She didn't know why, but Jake's casual handling and cheerful dismissal of her seemingly fragile mind had slowly brought her back to awareness. She still didn't have much have an appetite, but she did keep some sort of food down each day.

"Still having that same nightmare, Bells? How many times did you wake up last night?" Jake released her and grabbed her hand, drawing her to a seated position. His recent growth spurt, and the fact that she still had some weight to make up, had made it easy for him to tow her around. "Charlie made some coffee before he left with Billy. It's still warm if you want some."

"Actually, I only woke up the once, but something is nagging at me. I feel like I should understand more than I do. I must be missing something, but I don't know what. It bugged me so much that I had a hard time getting back to sleep. I feel unsettled, uneasy. Plus I swear I heard wolves howling in the forest last night." Bella yawned and fell back on the bed, stretching long and hard.

"Cool," Jake said. "About the wolves, I mean. Sucks about the sleep. Tell you what: I'll make you some toast and coffee to go while you get dressed. Quil is meeting me at my garage soon to help me work on the car, so we've got to get a move on."

Bella agreed, and headed to the bathroom to get ready to face the day. Thirty minutes later, she was munching cold toast, watching the forest through the passenger window of Jake's truck. As they crossed onto the reservation's boundaries, she caught a glimpse of something large and grey streaking through the trees.

"Jake, look! Did you see that?"

Glancing out the window, Jake shook his head. "Nope, what did you see?"

"I'm not sure," Bella shrugged. "I just thought I saw something."

"You probably did," Jake said, without much interest. "There are a lot of animals in this area."

Bella nodded and let it go. Excitement was fleeting for her these days. It just took too much energy. "You said Quil was helping you today. Is Embry coming too?"

Jake's expression went dark. "I haven't seen Embry in a couple weeks," he muttered angrily. "Last week he was sick, but he spent this week hanging out with Sam fucking Uley and his band of fucking merry men."

Bella was shocked. Jake rarely swore, and she had never seen him this irate. His hands on the steering wheel were white-knuckled and he seemed to be shaking slightly.

"Jeez, Jake. Calm down. Who's Sam Uley?"

Jake took one long, deep breath in through his nose. "Sam _fucking _Uley," Jake gritted, his teeth clenched, "is the leader of a bunch of bullies and trouble makers. They seem to run the rez. Even the elders think the sun shines out of Sam's ass." My dad is always like, 'you should give Sam a chance, Jacob. One day he might be there to help when you need him.' but last time I saw Embry he looked afraid, and Sam wouldn't even let him talk to me. Called him back like he was a damned dog, and Embry obeyed like one, too. I swear, if he had one, his tail would have been tucked between his legs."__

"Bullies?" Bella repeated. "Who do they gang up on?"

Jake grimaced and then shook his head. After his rant, he finally looked calmer. Reluctantly he amended his declaration. "They haven't ganged up on anyone that I can see. I heard they ran off a drug dealer they caught around the school grounds." He pulled up to his house, turned off the truck, and they both got out, heading to the garage. "But why would Embry be scared? He's just as big as the rest of them. I swear he grew six inches in the last couple weeks."

"Huh." She stopped and cocked her head, eying him consideringly. He had grown quickly in the last couple weeks also. She noticed he was a lot more muscular now. She would've had to have been dead not to notice when he took off his shirt one afternoon, complaining about being hot.

Hot. Hmmm... she reached out and took his hand. _Yeah _, she thought. When he held her foot this morning, it had felt as though he'd just taken his hands away from a fire. His skin was toasty. But he wasn't flushed, his eyes weren't glazed and feverish, and he didn't look sick.__

Embry obeying when Sam ordered him about. Wolves howling in the night. Grey streaks in the forest, running faster than the car. Something shifted in her mind, and she remembered a day near the driftwood on First Beach. She remembered the story that had led her to discover the Cullens secret. _No way. Holy shit! ___

Jake quirked an eyebrow at her and she flushed, realizing she had been staring. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I was thinking about something. Totally spaced out."

She tried to remove her hand from his, but he held on. His eyes lit mischievously and he grinned. "You can touch, too, if you like looking _that _much." He placed her hand on his chest, and drew her toward him. His other hand went to his waist and he held her there.__

With an exasperated huff, Bella tried to refocus on her recent musings. "Jake, cut that out! I was not looking at you." Blood rushed to her cheeks again. "Well, I was. But not for the reason you think." She paused.

Jake let go of her with an amused chuckle. "Just playing around, Bells. So if you weren't awestruck by all my manliness, what has you staring so hard?"

Bella clucked and then frowned. "Jake, the guys in Sam's gang - have they always been big, or did they grow really fast, like Embry?"

Scowling, Jake grumbled, "You were thinking about Sam's gang? Great. Just forget them, Bella."

"Jake, I'm serious. Think for a minute. I have an idea about something and I just need you to answer my questions."

"Fine!" Jake threw his hands up. "I never paid much attention to Sam before, but yeah, Jared and Paul both shot up and filled out fast. You should have seen the girls at school trying to get their attention." He laughed a little.

"Did they start hanging out with Sam before, or after they grew? Do you remember if they missed school a week or two before? Maybe out sick like Embry?"

"That was months ago, Bella. Give me a second." Jacob's brow knit in thought.

Just then Quil came into the yard, whistling. "Jake, my man! Ready to get working? Hey Bella."

Bella's eyes widened as she saw that Quil, too, had grown quite a bit recently. "Hey Quil," she greeted.

"Quil! Hey, do you remember if Jared or Paul missed school a week or so before they started following Sam around?" 

Quil shrugged, "I don't know why you care, Jake, but yeah. I think they both did. It was a few weeks apart, though. Jared first, then Paul. I remember my grandfather going to see them while they were sick. He seemed excited about it. Seemed weird to me. Why?"

Bella's mind raced and her heart pounded. "You guys know that tribal legend? The one you told me on the beach, Jake. About the cold ones and the spirit wolves?"

"Yeah," they both stated, hesitantly. Jake went on. "Why, Bella?"

"Well, I think you guys - Sam and them, and you and Quil - are wolves."

"Funny, Bella," Jake snorted. "Nice to see your sense of humour starting to come back. Let's get going on this Rabbit." He turned to go inside.

Quil, on the other hand, looked at Bella speculatively. She looked entirely serious, and his grandfather had always set great store by the tribal legends. Quil always thought it was because the elder was the tribe's shaman and story-keeper, but now...

"Bella?" he queried softly, as Jake turned back to look at them. "Why do you think that?"

Bella took a deep breath and swallowed hard. She wasn't supposed to tell people, but if she was right about this, then Jake and Quil would find out soon anyway. And she was certain she was right.

"Because," she swallowed again. "Because the Cullens are vampires."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jacob stormed into his house, vibrating with fury. Bella had spent several hours telling Jacob and Quil the full truth about the Cullens. He just couldn't understand what they had done to Bella and why. Was it all some sick game, used to alleviate the boredom of eternal undeath? They seemed to enjoy living a human facade, choosing to feed on animal, rather than human, blood. _Yeah, except if they smell someone exceptionally tasty, and when one of them 'slips' they just up and move. _Jake snorted in disgust, remembering how Bella had relayed that tidbit matter-of-factly.__

They had drawn her in, and done a piss-poor job of caring for her. She thought she had fit with the so-called family, that they had loved her. But just from listening he understood that she was a doll, a pet. The tiny female, Alice, chose Bella's clothes, disregarding Bella's personal style. She was primped and painted while she sat placidly, as Edward liked her to be. She was barely tolerated by the supermodel and used as entertainment and a constant target of teasing by the big one. He and Quil had been shaking and hot with anger.

When she told them about James and Phoenix, showing them her scar, they had both broken out in sweats, growling and groaning. He felt as though his skin was about to split apart. It was painful and frightening and that only served to fuel his rage.

He would never understand why a group of seven vampires ran, instead of confronting James and the other two. If they had destroyed him in Phoenix, _after _he had nearly killed Bella, then why couldn't they have done it here, when they realized he was a danger? Maybe it was a good thing the leech had leapt at her on her birthday. At least it had got them all to leave her alone. Sure, she was sad, but he was helping her get better every day. She would survive.__

After she had finished her story, Quil ran off to confront his grandfather. Easygoing Quil was livid. That was when Bella had told Jacob the details of her dream that she had left out before. Her flat recitation of Edward's remarks confirmed what Jake had been thinking. She had been a pet, and intuitively she knew that.

What disturbed Jake more, though, was that last sentence: _"What your soul seeks you will never find." _If the dream was Bella's subconscious shining a light on her life, then what did that mean? And who was she trying to reach? What had been bothering Bella for weeks was now bothering Jake as well. At the moment, however, he was much too focussed on having it out with his dad to spend a lot of time thinking about Bella's problem.__

Bella barely managed to dart inside the Black house before Jake slammed the door with a resounding crack! She winced at the sound, but said nothing. Instead, she went to sit on the couch. The day's events had robbed her of her energy. She hadn't eaten since the toast Jake made for her, but her stomach was in knots, and she was just not hungry.

"Dad!" the angry teen roared. "I know you're home, I saw Charlie pulling away. Where the hell are you? Come out here, old man!"

Billy wheeled into the living room, looking at Jake worriedly. "Jake, what's going on? Calm down, son, and talk to me."

"Calm down?" Jake sneered. "Why? Afraid I'll turn into a wolf or something?"

Billy paled, glancing quickly at the couch, where Bella was sitting listlessly watching the confrontation. "I am not sure what you mean, son," he hedged.

"Cut the bullshit! You're going to lie to my face and tell me that Sam and the rest aren't spirit-wolves? You're going to try to tell me that the legends aren't true, and the Cullens aren't vampires? Admit it, Dad!" Jake ordered, his body shaking faster than ever.

His face grim, Billy demanded, "Go outside, Jacob. Right now!" He followed Jake to the door as the boy stomped out. "I'm going to call Sam..."

"No need, Billy," a new voice interrupted. "I'm here. I figured you'd need me. Quil just phased a few minutes ago. It seems someone gave these two a heads up." His narrowed gaze cut to the doorway, where Bella was leaning on the doorframe, looking pale and sickly.

Seeing and hearing Sam, the object of his growing fury, Jake charged. "You!" he snarled. His body exploded in an instant, paws replacing hands and feet, and hair spouting all over his body. Sam realized what would happen and phased quickly. By the time he crashed into Sam, Jake had taken the form of a massive, chocolate-coloured wolf.

Billy breathed a sigh of relief, thinking now that Sam would be able to reason with the new wolf, or use his Alpha authority to control Jacob. But as he watched the two wolves continue to fight, his concern grew. He wondered if Jacob would even succumb to Sam's leadership, considering the mantle Sam held was rightfully the younger wolf's.

After long minutes, Jake and Sam stopped fighting. They stood staring at each other for an extended period before Jake backed off a step, and lowered his body slightly. Sam bared his teeth, and Jake lowered a fraction more, averting his eyes to the ground for just a minute. It was not full submission, but it seemed to appease Sam's wolf for the moment.

Jared, Paul, Embry, and a newly phased Quil slowly emerged from the trees in their wolf forms. They surrounded Jake, sniffing at him and butting their heads against his body. Jake turned to look at his dad and Bella, and then the six wolves turned as one and disappeared into the forest.

Bella made her way back into the house, laying back down on the couch and pulling a ragged throw over her shoulders. She felt wrung out and cold. She needed to go home, but didn't think she should be driving. The day had been fraught with emotional extremes. She didn't notice Billy entering the room, until a piece of fruit was tossed beside her, and a glass of water was held in her eye line.

She looked up at Billy, taking the water with a mumbled thanks. He scowled at her.

"What do you think you were doing, Bella? Jake needed to find out about his heritage himself. It's the way it's always been done, to protect the secret. What if he hadn't phased?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "Come off it, Billy. Do you really think he wouldn't? I didn't even know about the wolves and I figured it out in about an hour today. Only an idiot wouldn't see that he and Quil were going through the same things the others went through not long ago. Someone just needed to put it together. I know about vampires; I knew I was right about this. You knew, too. Don't deny it."

Billy's face darkened. "Of course I knew! I've known it was a possibility since Sam came back and told the Elders he had phased, nearly a year ago. When Jake started growing I knew it was a matter of time. There _is _no denying it. But it is Council business, not yours!"__

He paused then. "How did you know about spirit-wolves anyway? Even Charlie has never been told our legends, and he spends so much time here he's practically Quiluete."

Bella inhaled, then exhaled slowly. "Jake told me, months ago. Before I started seeing Edward. It's how I figured out the Cullens were vampires. I took the legend and the things I had noticed about them, did a bit of research online, and put two and two together. It was easier to figure out the wolves, though. I already knew that vampires were real.

"But Billy," she continued firmly, "my business or not, Jake is my best friend, and has done so much for me in the last few weeks. I could not have kept this from him. What kind of a friend would I have been then? I didn't tell him about vampires until I realized he would know soon anyway. It wouldn't have been safe for him, or fair. How fair is it for his own father to keep this large of a secret? One that directly and profoundly affects him? He is more angry about that, I think, than about turning into a wolf in the first place."

Billy only looked at her appraisingly. He gestured to the apple with his chin. "Eat that," he grunted. "You obviously need it. If you want to stay the night, you can sleep in Jake's bed. I doubt he'll be back tonight. Call Charlie. Or you can take the truck; you know where the keys are." With that he left the room.

\-----

It was late the next morning before Bella saw Jake again. She had taken Jake's truck, figuring Billy didn't need to wake up to her screaming in the night. At least Charlie was used to it. She had awakened repeatedly last night, her dreams strange, disjointed, and interspersed with images of the wolves. Her nightmare was changing, and she just couldn't help the hollow feeling it gave her. Yet she also began to feel a glimmer of hope. She was happy to see Jake when he arrived.

"Hey, how was wolfing out?" she asked, when he came in the back door, wearing a ragged pair of denim shorts and nothing else. "Oh, Jake, your hair! You cut it. That's going to take some getting used to."

Jake laughed, long and loud. "Only you, Bella," he started, in between chuckles, "would take me shifting into a wolf without blinking an eye, but need time to get used to my short hair. Long hair sucks when you're a wolf. Quil's mom just cut it for me."

"How's Quil? He was pretty upset." She sat down on the loveseat, and when Jake sat she put her feet in his lap.

"He's OK. Actually. You know how laid back he is. He blew up at Old Quil, phased, and thought being a wolf was totally cool. Plus, he's glad to be able to hang with Embry again. We both are."

Bella searched his eyes. "And how about you, Jake? Do you thing being a wolf is totally cool?"

"It is pretty neat, actually," Jake replied with enthusiasm. "Hey, did you know that I'm supposed to be Alpha of the pack? The Big Dog. Head Honcho. Jake the Wolf King. Apparently it's in my blood." He grinned and snorted out a breath in amusement.

"Really?" Bella wasn't sure what to say to that. She could tell that Jake didn't take himself seriously, but if it was his birthright then maybe he had no choice. "How do you feel about that?"

Jake shrugged and a small frown creased his forehead. He looked troubled for a moment. "I don't know, Bells. I was so mad at Sam, until he showed me what he had to go through when he first phased. Did you know that he ran around as a wolf for a couple of weeks? He didn't know what had happened or how to get back to human. He finally phased back in his sleep. At least the others have someone to look to for guidance. And he does a good job. He's earned the spot, you know? I just don't like that he can take away our free will with an Alpha order. I wonder if he keeps a tighter grip on things because he knows the position isn't his by rights.

"Although he seems to have a difficult time with me. It's like I can argue with him if I feel strongly enough about things. He was pretty pissed at you. Wanted me to stay away, but that's not going to happen." A hot hand patted her leg. "Even so, I don't want his role. At least, not yet. It's stupid to expect me to take over with no idea what I'm doing. So I'm good with Sam for now."

"Well that's good, I suppose," Bella muttered, not entirely happy that Sam blamed her. She truly believed the secret was carried too far. "You had a right to know."

"I agree, Bells. My dad even apologized for not telling me. He told me you and he talked. He feels a bit ashamed, I think. But I don't think it will change anything with the Council. And since you're not Tribe, they can't do anything to you."

"What about you, Jake? After all, you told me the legend."

"Sam already chewed my ear off about that. But I didn't know any better, really. I thought they were just stories. The Council can't overrule his decisions. His pack, his choice. He's making me run extra patrols." At Bella's quizzical look, he clarified, "You know, for vampires. The Cullens were the only ones allowed around here, and not on our lands. All the others get to be the accelerant at their own, personal barbeque."

Bella shuddered. "I remember when they killed James, just before I passed out. I may have been out of my mind with pain, but I'll never forget the sound of a vampire being torn to pieces." She rubbed her scarred wrist.

Knowing that she was reliving bad memories, Jake turned the conversation. "How'd you sleep last night, with everything yesterday, Bells?"

"Oh," she sighed, "I dreamed all night, Jake. Wolves, and the Cullens, and Edward, and legends. All of it. None of it woke me up, though, until I had my nightmare. It's changing. The feel, the mood of it is changing. Whoever they are, those three, they're looking for me Jake. They have been for a long time. I can sense it. I dream it. I am no longer the only one running in my dream, in my nightmare. They are coming to me. I can tell how desperate they are to reach me, but I can never see them clearly. They seem important to me. Why is that? How will I ever find them if I don't know who they are?" Bella chewed on her lip, wringing her hands.

"Damn, Bella, that's tough. I don't know what to say." Jake paused, looking startled and then thoughtful. "There is another legend I think you should hear. Look, I have to go, but I have an idea about something. Sam says there is a bonfire next Saturday. We'll sit around and have something to eat, and then Dad and Old Quil will start the storytelling. You can come. Dad said you could, and Sam couldn't say no."

"Yeah, sure. I mean, the pack all probably hates me anyway. The girl who hangs with vampires. They may as well get to know me, so they have a better idea who to loathe."

"Nah, Bella. They may mock you a bit, and it seems Paul is always angry, but they are good guys. They won't hate you if they get to know you. Plus, Quil, Embry and I are half the pack, and we all still like you."

At that, Bella had no choice but to agree as she tossed Jake his truck keys

\-----

Bella slowed her truck in front of the Cullen mansion. It had been nearly three months since they had left. In fact, Bella realized with a start that Christmas was just a couple weeks away. The grounds showed the barrenness of winter, drab amid the surrounding evergreens.

Telling Jake and Quil all about the Cullens yesterday had made her realize that their leaving still didn't feel real to her - like the action was incomplete. She decided to take one last trip to the Cullen mansion; it would be her catharsis.

She entered the house and found graceful abandonment. The furniture was not gone, but was instead sheeted against the dust. All the pretty little decorations were missing, but some of the larger art-work remained. The tribute to graduations past was leaning against one wall, away from the windows. The tassel on each cap was wrapped in tissue paper, and the whole thing was wrapped in plastic. Carlisle's cross was gone, but the table where they had always held family meetings was still there. It seemed they had only taken things with personal significance. Edward's piano was gone.

Room by room, she wandered through the house. She felt a slight ache when she remembered believing she was happy and wanted here, but it was not an overwhelming grief. As she was leaving Carlisle's office, her gaze strayed to a spot on the wall where a painting once hung, and an odd longing confused her. She remembered when Carlisle had told her about his time with the Volturi. 

"They had settled in Volterra, Italy, centuries before. Marcus," he pointed to the brown-haired young-looking vampire, "is considered a Saint there, for driving all vampires out of the city. They even have a holiday named after him. St. Marcus Day. Some of the guard told me he had lost his mate, Didyme, many years before I met him. He always seemed distant and depressed. Even though I was there for some years, I rarely saw him smile. It was as though he was existing in a dream-state.

_"Aro, on the other hand," he said, gesturing to the dark-haired one in the middle, "was charming, eloquent, and gregarious. But ruthless in his quest for power. The guard already had several gifted members when I met them, and he was always looking for more. I hate to think of the methods he used. I believe one of the guard has the ability to manipulate bonds to ensure loyalty." He shook his head disapprovingly._

_"And the white-haired one?" Bella asked curiously._

_"That's Caius, and you'll rarely meet a more cruel and bloodthirsty vampire. He's a brilliant tactician, but I think that's because he enjoys the ravages of war so much," Carlisle stated flatly. "He's dangerous, unforgiving. He was nearly killed by werewolves once, and spent the next century hunting them to near-extinction._

_"They are human-drinkers, and make no effort to be otherwise. They tried hard to make me change my diet when I was there. Eventually I could no longer tolerate their disdain for human life. That's when I came to America." ___

__Bella shook the memories away. For some reason, his recitation of the Volturi did not seem nearly as frightening now as it had in that moment. She shrugged away her thoughts and finished her tour of the house quickly. The visit here had both helped and left her feeling perturbed._ _


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Bella parked her truck wearily and grabbed a sweater before jumping out. Down at the beach she could see the pile of wood stacked up ready to light. Reaching across the seat, she took out the container of cookies she had brought and slammed the door shut. She was really not sure that she wanted to be here, but Jake had insisted. They hadn't seen each other this week - thanks to the extra patrols Sam had given Jake - but they had talked on the phone a couple of times. She had tried to get him to tell her why he was so eager for her to hear another legend, but he had refused to say.

"I want you to form your own impression, Bella," he stated. "I'll tell you my theory after."

School had let out yesterday for the winter break, and Bella had spent the morning wandering through the shops in Forks, finishing off the Christmas shopping she had started online after visiting the Cullen house. She knew Jake didn't patrol today, and had wanted to meet him before the bonfire, but when she called, Billy had told her that Jake was busy. So she baked cookies instead, figuring that she should contribute something tonight.

Quil ran up to her as she started down to the beach. "Hey there, Bella. Let me help you with that." He snatched the cookies out of her hands and slung an arm across her shoulder.

"Ooph!" she huffed. "Quil, you dumbass, have you noticed you're like a foot taller than me? Not to mention a hell of a lot heavier. I have enough trouble walking on my own. I don't need you weighing me down." She swung out from under his arm and glared at him before giving him a playful push. Of course, he didn't move an inch.

"Sorry, Itty-bitty Bella," he laughed. "Let's get down to the beach. They're about to light the fire. Jake wants me to save him a spot."

With an irritated frown Bella asked, "Jake's not here? Where is he?"

"Oh yeah, you probably haven't heard. You know the Clearwaters right? Your dad is good friends with Harry. Well Seth and Leah _both _phased today. Got into an argument and nearly destroyed their living room. Good thing Harry was fishing with Billy and Charlie, otherwise he probably would have had a heart attack."__

__"And what's that got to do with Jake?" Bella asked impatiently._ _

__"Well, Seth phasing is OK, even if he's only 14. Younger than anyone would like, but it's not a surprise. But Leah - well, there's never been a female wolf before. Freaked us all out a bit. And then there's the Sam thing. They used to be engaged, and then he wolfed out and now he's with Emily." He pointed to the back of a woman across the beach._ _

__"Needless to say," he went on, "Leah is being a totally bitter bitch to Sam, and she is taking full advantage of the pack mind to do it. Sam refuses to order her to stop. I think he feels guilty. So Jake offered to stay with her, show her what's what, and try to get her to phase back. I'm not sure he'll make it tonight."_ _

__Bella began to grumble. "Great. He badgered me all week about this legend he wanted me to listen to, and now he's not even here. How many legends do they tell? Which one did he want me to hear?"_ _

__"Hey Embry," Quil grinned, sitting next to his friend, who returned the greeting. "Don't worry, Bella. Jake told me what story it is. I'll make sure you don't miss it. Sit down. There's lots of room."_ _

__Amused, Embry interjected with a teasing tone. "There's enough room for three of Bella."_ _

__Bella pinched his arm as she sat and settled in to listen to Billy and Old Quil._ _

__***_ _

__". . . and so, Taha Aki's great wolf returned to the forest, to forever mourn his soul's True Mate." Old Quil's voice resonated with pride and sorrow as he drew the tale of the Third Wife to a close.  
Bella wiped tears from her eyes, sniffling a bit as she listened to Billy continue to explain imprinting to the new wolves. Jake and Leah had joined the group midway through the narratives, and Leah was now staring at Sam and Emily with a mixture of rage and heartache._ _

__Jake put his arm around Bella and rubbed her shoulder affectionately. "Want to take a walk, Bells?" he asked when the stories were done. The Elders had left and the gathering was descending into teenaged merriment._ _

__They wandered slowly down the beach. Bella was deep in thought and Jake knew it. He was silent, waiting for her to speak._ _

__"I thought Edward was my soul mate, Jake. But he wasn't, was he? Taha Aki might still be in the forests mourning his wife. He didn't do that for the first two, only the Third Wife. Edward left me, and the way he did it was cruel. That's what you're thinking, what my dreams are telling me. That Edward and I aren't meant to be. I think I knew that already. I'm not longing for _him _. . . ," she trailed off.___ _

____Jake was nodding his head. "I'm not sure I would have believed in soul mates before, Bella. But the way you describe your dreams is so intense. And then finding out about spirit-wolves and imprinting? It's almost beyond the realm of possibility. I have loved you since we were kids, Bells. But lately I've known that you and I will never be. _Can _never be. I just hope you find what your soul needs."___ _ _ _

______Bella gasped, mouth dropping open and eyes widening incredulously. "My dream! Soul mates? But Jake, there are three. Three soul mates? Is that what you're saying? That's what you're saying isn't it?" She barely waited while Jake nodded again. "How can I have three soul mates? _Why _would I have three?" she stubbed her toe on a rock, swearing as she tripped.___ _ _ _ _ _

________With a laugh, Jake steadied her. "You can't walk down a beach without falling. You find a nest of vampires who think you smell really good, and you decide to spend all your time with them. You attracted a sadistic human-drinker, who you ran to meet, and got badly beaten and bitten. And when all the bloodsuckers finally disappeared from your life, the first people you spend time with turn into giant wolves! If anyone needs more than one person loving and protecting them, it's you," he concluded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Bella opened her mouth incredulously, then shut it again. "I hate it when you make so much sense while you are mocking me, Jake. What else is going on in that head of yours? You seem to have figured out everything I needed to know."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Jake rubbed his clenched fist on his thigh. He took a deep breath, visibly steeling himself. "I think your mates are vampires, Bella," he stated, as he fought desperately against the wolf inside him. "I just can't see anything else making sense. They are in your dreams with Edward, and you said before that you were most upset when he left because it felt like the path in front of you was blocked. It makes sense that if you didn't feel that while you were with him, and he's not your mate, then somehow his coming into your life was destined. He brought you into a world you never knew existed. I'm part of this world, too, but you aren't dreaming about me, or Embry, or Paul, or any of us. Wolves don't figure into your nightmare at all. Plus, none of the wolves have imprinted on you," he took another breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"It's the only thing that makes sense. I hate it, but how can I block your destiny? I've seen the way you are now. Sleeping badly, always tired. You barely eat enough to sustain yourself, and you cut yourself off to everyone but me. You need them, Bella."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Bella nodded hesitantly. "Jake," she began, "you do know that if you are right, the vampires in my dream are looking for me. And they are probably human-drinkers. How am I supposed to be OK with that? Especially after knowing you and the pack. That's what you are here for, Jake. To kill vampires."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Jake sensed his wolf listening closely, agreeing with what Bella was saying. Cautious of provoking a shift, he took a step backward and shook his head. "No, Bella. That's not why we are spirit-wolves. Old Quil told us about the Cold Ones attacking, and about the Third Wife tonight. But Taha Aki had already been a wolf for a long time before those vampires attacked our people. I'll tell you about Utlapa one day. He was a spirit warrior, in a time before the wolves, and he turned evil. That's when Taha Aki's spirit entered a wolf for the first time. Not because of vampires. I think we're wolves to guard against all dangers to our tribe from evil - not just to kill vampires."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Jake felt his wolf cock his head consideringly, before settling back down. Jake figured that maybe he didn't have it wrong, after all._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I didn't know you were such a deep thinker, Jake," Bella said, trying to lighten the mood. "What does Sam say about your point-of-view?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Sam can't see what I don't want him to," Jake responded. "Having a best friend who hangs with leeches has given me a unique perspective. I still don't like the idea of you being mated to red-eyes, but I know you, Bells. You're not evil. As for the deep thinker thing - I think that came with the phase. It's hard to explain, but I feel like my wolf brought wisdom from my ancestors, and is willing to consider my experiences to grow into a better warrior. And you are definitely an experience."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Maybe that's why Ephraim was willing to make a treaty with the Cullens in the first place," Bella mused._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Could be. Huh! Never thought about that, but you're probably right. I will take over Alpha one day, Bells, and I hope the pack and the Elders will respect and even listen to my viewpoint, without me having to go all Alpha-order on them."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I hope they do, Jake. I would be sad to lose my best friend just because my mate is a vampire."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Mates, Bella. Plural. Three of them, remember? Jake the Wise Wolf King says so," he grinned. "And I don't want to lose you, either."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Bella stopped dead-still. Her face was white with shock, and Jake felt her heart stutter in her chest. Then she bloomed with colour, and jumped up, yelling, "Kings! Three! Jake, oh Jake! You are awesome, amazing, the best! I know, Jake! I know who they are!" She whirled in a circle, laughing, tears flowing down her cheeks. She hugged Jake hard, and held on, thanking him again and again._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Jake held her for a moment, and when she stilled, he gently queried, "Who are they, Bella? Are you sure?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Volturi, Jake. The three rulers of the vampire world. Aro, Caius and Marcus. They call themselves brothers. Carlisle told me about them. But Jake, I'm not sure they are very nice. Carlisle said as much. Plus he said Marcus's mate died already." Bella's shoulders slumped dejectedly. "Maybe I'm wrong."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Maybe, Bells. Maybe not. Carlisle could have been wrong, or they could have changed. I mean, Carlisle's family seems harmless, but you know first-hand that they can be selfish and cruel. Let's go back. I'll walk you to your truck. Go home. Sleep on it. Maybe your dream will change again. I'll come by tomorrow. It's my turn to patrol right now anyway. Seth and Leah are coming with me."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________When they reached her truck, he gave her a quick hug, with an admonishment not to worry too much, then he walked into the woods, shifted, and watched as her taillights disappeared in the darkness._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Ten minutes later, his keen hearing picked up the sound of screeching tires and rending metal in the direction of Forks. He and the other wolves raced toward the scene. Seth, being closest, arrived first, with Leah fast on his heels. Jacob's long legs ate up the ground in huge bounds, and he watched the unfolding events through the pack-mind, horror invading his thoughts._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Bella's truck lay on its side, the front-end completely crumpled in. Bella was sprawled next to the hood, half-in and half-out of the truck. Her seat belt had snapped, and there was blood everywhere. She lay, conscious, but barely moving, as a red-haired vampire laughed and stalked closer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Hello, Bella," the female chimed in a child-like voice. "It's so nice to see you again. James says hi, too." She paused, then bared her teeth. "Oh, that's right. He can't say hi. Because you killed him!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The vampires eyes turned black, and venom dripped down her chin and flew from her mouth like spittle, as she yelled out, "You and those damned pathetic animal-killers took my MATE! You are the reason he's dead! You, a worthless, spineless, snivelling human! I will make you pay! You will suffer! You and every single one of those unnatural vampires will DIE!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________With that, she leapt, not noticing the two wolves speeding toward her. Leah caught up with her mid-leap, and tackled her to the ground. The bloodsucker got her arms around the inexperienced wolf, and with a feral hiss, she squeezed. Leah yelped as she felt several ribs crack. The red-headed she-devil rolled Leah under her, kicking back at an approaching Seth as she moved. She continued squeezing and rolling, then she stood up and, in one swift move, launched Leah head-first into a large evergreen, where she phased human and lay unmoving._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Jake ran up, yelling at Seth to take care of Bella, but the younger wolf was already charging the vampire. She ducked underneath the sandy-coloured canine, reaching up and grabbing him by the throat. She closed her hand, fingernails digging into flesh beneath fur, causing Seth to whimper and choke._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Without warning, another vampire barrelled into Jake. His dreadlocks swung, and his red eyes gleamed menacingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Victoria," he called, "you never told me we were playing with puppies tonight. I thought I was just keeping you company while we grabbed the girl. I wanted a taste of that mouth-watering blood before you spilled it all in anger." He started toward Bella, but was stopped by an angry chocolate wolf standing in the way, growling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Laurent," the vampire called Victoria said, "you'll get a taste after I get the girl. I hear more of these mongrels coming." She held a human Seth by the throat. His face was red from lack of air and he was barely struggling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Beyond the female leech, Jake saw Leah beginning to stir, but she was too injured to fight further. Jake knew he had a choice to make between Seth and Bella. Seth might survive long enough for the pack to catch up to the vampires, but Bella certainly would not. Jake stood his ground, snarling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Victoria said something, too fast and low to make out. With a look of frustrated rage, she shook Seth and tossed him to Laurent. Laurent looked gleeful as he grabbed the boy, then he and Victoria turned and disappeared in different directions._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The last thing Bella was aware of was Jake gingerly picking her hair out of her eyes whispering that the ambulance was coming._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Any human seeing Marcus upon his throne would have thought him a statue. He was absolutely still, immersed in his bond-sight, paying only the slightest attention to the various vampires he and his brothers were scheduled to see today. So far, there had been no need to shut off his gift and join his brothers in judgment. He would if he had to, but today he was especially engrossed, thinking over the last eighteen years of their bond._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He and his brothers would never forget that day they knew their mate was born. They had been in their study, where Aro was trying and failing to interest his brothers in the upcoming release of Nintendo's game, Legend of Zelda. Caius was ready to strangle him, and Marcus had been half-listening with amusement, the main focus of his mind, as always, on the bond he had been watching for so long._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Without warning, the six golden lines of the bond flared. Marcus sat up suddenly, ignoring his brothers' exclamations, and watched in awe as tiny vines began to grow from the base of each bud and entwine themselves around the bond. Around each line they wound, delicate, yet with unbreakable strength. More tendrils appeared, just as fragile-looking, and wrapped every pair of lines together, encircling the entire bond. What should have been a chaotic tangle instead looked to Marcus like an intricate weaving, a beautiful intermingling of their mate's soul finding theirs. He wasn't aware that Aro had grabbed his hand until he heard him breathe with reverence, "She is born, brothers. Our mate has been born on this day. At this very moment."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Caius was torn between excitement and irritation. He knew that his brothers would not leave him out of their sight, but he also knew he would have to wait until the bond-change finished. He noted the time on the giant wall-clock Aro had insisted in putting in here. Then, with ill-concealed frustration, he tore open the door to the study._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Jane!" he barked. "Find out today's date! Then gather your brother, Felix and Demetri, and return here. Also, ask Athenodora and Sulpicia to come." With that he shut the door once more and returned to watching his brothers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"The bond, Caius. It's beautiful. I truly am sad that you cannot witness it for yourself. Vines, as delicate as you have seen, have grown from beneath the buds and wrapped us, separately and together, in an eternal embrace. The emerging leaves are green, dark and glossy, and limned with shining gold as though our own bond-lines are shining straight through the vines and leaves. There is no part of the bond that is left untouched by each of us. It is remarkable to behold." His voice and face held pure wonder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"I think it will continue to grow through her life, brothers." Marcus said, captivated by this long-awaited event. He had never dared to imagine what form their mate's inclusion into their bond would take._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________A quick knock on the door roused the three, and they looked up as Jane entered the room with the five other summoned vampires._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Masters," she greeted with a quick bow. "It is September 13th, 1987. We have come as you ordered."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Aro, Caius, Marcus, what is happening?" Sulpicia was curious and concerned. It was rare for the brothers to be this agitated._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"She is born!" Aro exclaimed. "We have just witnessed the first change to our bond in more than a millennium. We must celebrate! Let's go to Paris and hunt. I've always been partial to French food. I've always thought it tasted a bit like red wine."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Oh, this is marvelous news! I am so happy for you three," Athenodora beamed. "Paris sounds lovely. I must call Didyme. She and her mate will be overjoyed! Perhaps they will want to join us in France. Thankfully, they are vacationing in Spain right now. Nepal is a bit too far for a spur-of-the-moment celebration. Come, Picia, let us find more suitable clothing for a midnight hunt."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Sulpicia gave each of the three a warm hug, congratulating them, before turning and walking out the door behind Athenodora._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Are we not to look for our mate, brother?" Caius demanded, scowling. "It is not such a safe world out there that we can be assured she will find us unharmed. We should locate her if we can, and watch over her until she is old enough to come to us."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"Of course, Caius. You are right. But I must confess I do not know where to begin our search. If you have any suggestions I will be glad to hear them."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Marcus forestalled the sharp retort he knew was forthcoming. "Caius, you are correct. There are many dangers in the world. But, as Aro pointed out, we do not know where our mate is, or where to start looking for her. We must have faith, brother, that the Moirai would not have let us wait this long in vain._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________"We can certainly search for her," he continued. "But think on it, brother. One of the three of us must always be with those searching. No one else would recognize what she is to us. It could be more dangerous to send the guard out without one of us. She could easily become a meal."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Aro, Marcus and Caius all growled low at the thought. Black eyes snapped to the guards, who lowered themselves to their knees, avoiding all eye contact._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________Finally Caius sighed. "You are right, Marcus. You too, Aro. The world is too big for us to find her tonight. Let us go hunt. This is a day for celebration. But I will not be content depending on the Fates, Marcus. We will search, brothers. As often as we can. ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________And search they had, over the years. Only the guard knew that at least one of the three was usually away from the castle. And only Felix, Demetri, and the twins knew why. Athenodora and Sulpicia had decided to join Didyme and her mate a few years after the bond had changed. They considered that the Kings' mate would not appreciate the presence of the former companions when she and the brothers finally met. There would be time enough to get to know her after she was secure in her mating bond._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Years passed. Halfway through her 18th year, the buds had begun to loosen. Something had occurred, but the Kings did not know what. Aro was inexorably hopeful that the change meant they would meet their mate soon._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________A couple months later a dull silver scar appeared on the vines. The rulers had cried out in unison, holding their left wrists, and writhing at the unexpected pain. They knew that something terrible had happened to their mate. The bond also told them she had survived._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Caius was frantic, and the other two barely less so. They had not given up searching all these years, but with the bond indicating the impending meeting, they were certain they needed to stay together. And that meant that, until they had more information, they would remain in the castle._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Marcus felt the flavour of the bond change just after their mate's 18th birthday. He got the impression that her soul was searching theirs, as theirs had been waiting all these years for her. Then came the day when the bond once again flared brightly, and he was sure their mate knew of them. His anticipation grew to fevered heights._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Marcus was pulled from his musings when the doors of the throne room banged open, and a dark-skinned vampire walked in, dragging behind him a half-dead boy._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Caius rose from his throne and regarded the newcomer with a scowl. "What is the meaning of this? Why do you bring a human, alive, into our presence?" He crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at the boy in disgust.

"He stinks. Like wet dog and. . ." he cut himself off abruptly, as his eyes shot up to the unfamiliar male in disbelief. "You brought a werewolf into our midst!? To _me _? I'm not sure whether to kill you or thank you for the gift." He reached for the boy.__

__"Brother," Aro interrupted. "Perhaps we should give our visitor a chance to introduce himself and explain. The werewolf will keep. He's in no state to fight us, and the moon is not full this night."_ _

__Marcus tilted his head and sniffed the air curiously. "He does not have quite the right scent. The hint of feral madness I remember from werewolves is absent. Interesting. Continue, please, Aro. This boy intrigues me."_ _

__Aro nodded once to Marcus, silently thanking him for his observation. "Now, sir. Who are you and what is your business with the Volturi?" he asked the stranger._ _

__Laurent drew himself up self-importantly. "Majesties," he began. "My name is Laurent. I have come to report a human left with knowledge of our world. The girl played a role in the destruction of my coven leader, who was mated to Victoria - the other in my coven. We have also discovered a den of werewolves, who have taken the human under their protection. Victoria and I managed to capture this one," he shook Seth, "to provide the Volturi with information about their pack and this human. We also ask for aid in disposing of the girl, as we could not finish her before the dogs interfered."_ _

__Somberly, Aro spoke, "This is grave news, indeed. This human must certainly be dealt with. How was she able to cause the death of your coven leader?" He held up his hand, stopping Laurent before he could respond. "With your indulgence, I will see for myself. Please take my hand."_ _

__Laurent eyed Aro's outstretched hand warily. He knew what the King was capable of, and he had thought about it, while hiding with Seth in the cargo plane he used to get to Italy. He had decided that he and Victoria were blameless. After all, neither of them had hunted the girl, as James did. They were avenging a mate, and ridding their world of a threat to its secrecy. He put his hand in Aro's with a smug smile._ _

__Marcus watched as Aro made small noises, his forehead creasing and a moue of distaste painting his features. Aro's expression got darker and what Marcus saw made him leap up in disbelief. For the first time since their mate-bond began, Marcus saw Aro's lines react while his and Caius's remained unchanged. Aro's bond-lines started to glow, lightly at first, and then with increasing brightness, and the petals of the bud opened tiniest bit._ _

__Before he could reach his brother to relay this new wonder, Aro roared with rage and agony. His eyes melted to pitch-black and he _tore _into the other vampire with undiluted wrath. Marcus saw fear overcome Laurent, before his head was separated from his body, and tossed to crash against the far wall. Aro ripped off an arm, broke it, and then shredded it to pieces, hurling bits of vampire flesh about the room randomly. Venom sprayed everywhere. Aro repeated the process over and over again, until there was nothing recognizable left of Laurent, but his cracked head in the far side of the room.___ _

____Growling with animalistic ferocity, Aro stalked over, picked up the head, and viciously ripped the hair from its scalp. His fury knew no bounds, and the two words he could form coherently only served to further Marcus's and Caius's growing anxiety._ _ _ _

____"Mate. Hurt!"_ _ _ _

____An inhuman growl from Caius's throat, followed by a sound that spoke of pain and despair. He seized his throne and violently heaved it across the room. The guard, already on edge from Aro's unprecedented display of anger, tensed._ _ _ _

____"Out! Everyone out! You will not touch a single piece of this vampire filth! He will suffer agony for weeks while he reassembles and then he is mine!" Then he launched himself at Aro, hoping to relieve them both of their aggression. It sounded as though their mate needed them now, and she would need them in command of their senses._ _ _ _

____Before his own wrath could consume him, Marcus spoke to Jane. "Take that boy, " he gestured to Seth, "to guest quarters. See that he has what he requires to regain his strength, but do not leave him unguarded. Guard him yourself, and use your gift as needed. Send word the moment he regains consciousness. Go now!" he finished with a snarl. He then joined Caius and Aro as they battled themselves and each other for control._ _ _ _

____Several hours later, the throne room was in shambles. Columns of stone were missing large chunks, the walls were cracked, and the Kings' thrones were completely obliterated. The brothers sported gashes and fissures, but were largely unharmed. They had learned throughout the years that it was simply not possible to bite or inflict a great deal of damage on each other. It was like purposefully injuring oneself and the bond did not allow it._ _ _ _

____"Now Aro, would you please tell us what you saw? Your bond to our mate has increased on its own, without mine or Caius's. You saw her in that vampire's mind," Marcus stated. "She is hurt. How badly? Where is she? What of the boy?"_ _ _ _

____"She is aware of our world, Marcus, as we suspected. That savage's coven encountered her earlier this year - not long before the scar appeared on the bond. I did not see anything in his mind that would explain that, though. She was in the company of the _Cullens _," he spat the name. "Laurent's coven thought her a pet, and the leader set a game to catch her. This waste of venom left rather than join the chase, but agreed to help his coven-mate, Victoria, torture and kill _our mate _when the hunt failed and her mate, James, wound up dead instead."_____ _ _ _

________Aro growls had increased in intensity and duration while he described what he saw in Laurent's mind. By the end, his words were barely decipherable._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Marcus spoke quickly, before Aro became further incensed. "And the boy? Is he indeed a werewolf? Why was he protecting our mate?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I would very much like to know her name, Aro," Caius interjected, "if you have learned it."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Bella," Aro breathed, reverently. "Her full name I do not know, but she is called Bella. And it suits her, for she is a beauty._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"The boy is not a Child of the Moon. He is a shapeshifter, changing at will, and he and his pack did indeed protect our Bella. She is a great friend to their rightful leader. The wolf-form was chosen out of necessity by their ancestors. They are fully cognizant while shifted." Before he could go on, there was a brisk knock, and Felix entered the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Masters," he bowed, "the boy is awake, and healing quickly. He chuckled and continued. "He will not stop staring at Jane. She is most disconcerted, I think."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"She has not used her gift on him, has she, Felix?" Aro asked. Now that they knew the boy had helped their mate, they were loathe to see further harm come to him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"She has not, Master. He has not tried to escape, nor has he been hostile in any way. He gazes at Jane as though she hung the moon."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"We will see this for ourselves, Aro," Caius broke in impatiently. "We do not have time to gossip about foolish children while our mate lies injured. Tell us the rest of your tale on the way to see this boy."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________With that terse reprimand, Caius exited the room, Aro and Marcus on his heels. As they made their way to the guest quarters, Aro relayed the last moments Laurent had spent near their mate._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________***_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Seth had awakened in pain, not knowing where he was, surrounded by the sickly-sweet smell of too many leeches. He was just able to roll to the edge of the bed he found himself on, before he brought up the contents of his stomach. Great, wracking dry-heaves continued to take over his body. His head was pounding and his body ached with such severity that he could not phase. He whimpered and tried to sit up, only to be stopped by a cold voice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I would not try that, boy," the owner of the voice was female, and obviously a bloodsucker. He had not scented one in the room. Seth was petrified, and tried desperately to reach for his wolf, who would not come. His panic was evident, as his heart rate increased and his breath came in short, quick pants. He would not see his friends and family again, and right now could not even say goodbye to his pack through the mind-link. He was about to die, and was not prepared for it. Even though he was currently still alive, the implications of his animate state further terrified him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He heard the female call for someone to come, but the rest of what she said was lost in a haze of fear. Suddenly he felt a cool hand on his back, and the same voice said sharply, "Boy! Come back. You are safe for the moment. Master Marcus was most insistent that you were cared for. Cease this behaviour and lay back down so your body may rest! You were badly used by the vampire who brought you here, but he has been dealt with, and you have been treated well. Think on that and do not work yourself up to such a state. Breathe."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Taking her advice with a shuddering inhalation, Seth looked up, and gasped in surprise as he felt the pure link of imprinting form between himself and the red eyes that met him. He gaped, unbelieving, and unable to look away. After what seemed like an age, but was only an instant, the eyes turned wary and confused, and the young vampire retreated to the wall near the door. She glared, and appeared to be debating something, before scowling and looking expectantly at the doorway. Seth saw that she looked quite young, but somehow gave the impression of age beyond his comprehension. Her hair was light brown, almost blond, and fell to her shoulders. She was extremely petite, but carried herself with great presence. He could not stop staring._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________A hulking vampire filled the entrance, followed by two more males and a human man with a mop and bucket of soapy water. The man immediately began to clean the mess Seth had left, working quickly without speaking. When he was finished, he inclined his head to the vampires in the room, and left._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Sister," the youngest looking one said, "I see the boy is awake."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Why does he watch you so, Jane?" the large one asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Jane," murmured Seth, "I am Seth." He maintained his gaze._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Jane made a sound between a hiss and an exasperated huff. "Felix, go inform the Masters that he has regained consciousness. Demetri, see if you can get him to lie down. I can see his injuries healing; the bruising around his ribs and throat has lessened, and the lump on his head as well. But he would do better resting."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Although she was more than a foot shorter than the two, they wasted no time heeding her command. Seth found himself gently but firmly pressed back to the mattress by the one called Demetri. His head swam, though not as badly as before. He adjusted his position until he could see Jane again, and then was content to lay back and observe her. Very soon he heard voices in the hallway, and was startled to hear a voice relaying exactly what had happened the night Bella was attacked. When he described the accident, beginning even before Seth had arrived at the scene, his voice was laced with anguish and distress. He also heard two others growl with anger and alarm. Shortly after, three vampires entered the room._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Worry etched into every line of his face, Caius began issuing orders as they entered the room to find their most trusted guards there. "Demetri, ready the jet for takeoff. File a flight plan for. . ." he paused and glanced at Aro._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Forks, Washington," Aro murmured. "But I'm not sure where the nearest airport is."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Port Angeles," a weak voice contributed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Caius nodded to the boy on the bed. "Port Angeles, Demetri. Arrange suitable transportation to Forks from there. Gather the senior guard in our study in thirty minutes. Alec, summon Sulpicia, Athenodora and Didyme. They will govern in our absence. We leave in three hours. Go!"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Demetri and Alec disappeared from the room without a word. As one, the three Kings turned fully to face the young shifter. Seth was quite curious about why they were so interested in, and seemingly concerned for, Bella. Studying them closely, he saw beyond the anxiety that was plainly evident in the lines of their faces and bodies._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The one issuing orders was white-haired, and looked to be over thirty, if Seth had to guess. The other two both had dark hair and were younger. The white-haired one looked as though he was teetering on the edge of panic. Though his commands were clearly and crisply given, Seth could see the tightness around his black eyes, and the choppiness of his movements. Clearly, he did not want to waste any time. Seth was certain that if he could this one would already be mid-flight to Washington. Seth took a moment to respect the responsibility he showed to his obvious position of power._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The one with the darkest hair was excited beneath his worry. Every so often he would rock up to the balls of his feet, as he seemed to lose himself in thought, smiling slightly. Then he would come back to himself and his expression would darken with concern._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The last one appeared to be the youngest, slightly taller than the others, with dark brown hair. He had stopped, and looked between Seth and Jane with utter astonishment. Seth sensed that he was normally placid, for a vampire, and his manner suggested great wisdom. These vampires were not what he expected._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The dark-haired one glided up to Seth's side, brushing Jane's hand on the way by. "Seth, my dear boy!" he exclaimed. "Dear, dear boy! We cannot thank you enough! You and your two pack-mates. You were willing to sacrifice everything, your very lives, to protect our mate. We will be forever in your debt."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Your mate?" Seth asked, "I'm confused. I don't know your mate. I don't know who you are. I don't even know where I am. The last thing I remember is a red-headed female choking me until I passed out. I don't know how I got so banged up. And how did you know my name?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Aro," the wise one said, "you are getting ahead of yourself. Pray, allow me to clarify for him."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Of course, Marcus. Of course," the one called Aro replied._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Marcus walked to stand next to Aro. He looked at Seth steadily and then began, "Seth, my name is Marcus, and these are my brothers Aro, and Caius," he gestured to the white-haired one. "We are the leaders of the Volturi, the ruling coven of vampires. We are responsible for order within our world, and also work diligently to protect the secret of our existence. You are in Volterra, Italy, where we make our home._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Aro took over the explanation, "Laurent, the vampire who brought you here thought it would be amusing to mistreat you while you were unable to fight back. He showed no care for you while he ran with you through the forest. Your body was battered against rocks, trees, and the ground. He tossed you about roughly, and entertained himself by breaking several of your ribs during the flight over. Thankfully, he did not crush them. The lump on your head is the result of a particularly harsh blow he gave you to ensure your continued subdual. As for your name, I can read every thought a person has ever had with a mere touch of my hand. I saw all this from Laurent's mind before I tore him apart. And I just took your name from Jane as I passed her."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"You killed him? Why? I thought he was just being a vampire." Seth muttered the last quietly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Do not equate his behaviour to being a vampire! That creature is beneath contempt. And he is not dead. That would be too kind. He will wish for death before I am done with him. His screams will echo through the ages and he will have deserved every minute of agony I give him before I turn him to ash!" Caius spat, practically frothing at the mouth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Peace, Caius. You will have your revenge. On Laurent and on Victoria. And we have yet to answer Seth's most pertinent question." Marcus turned back to Seth. "You, young wolf, did indeed protect our mate. Although you were unable to stop her from being injured, you prevented her immediate death when you and the other two wolves intercepted Laurent and Victoria. We pray that her injuries are not too severe, or that we arrive to change her in time, if need be."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Bella?" Seth whispered incredulously, "Bella is your mate? How do you know? When did you know? If you knew, why has she never spoken of you? Does she know?"_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Be still, Seth. Calm yourself. Bella is indeed of whom we speak. I have a gift of my own. I see bonds between people. There are many types of bonds, but the mating bond for vampires is unmistakable. We and Bella, however, have a unique bond. She is mated to Aro, Caius and me. To all three of us. The bond has existed for fifteen hundred years." Marcus smiled as Seth's eyes bulged and his mouth fell open. "Yes, it is not a time span that one so young can fathom. We saw her birth in the bond, and have witnessed several significant changes within the last year that we cannot explain. We strongly suspect that she knows of us, that we are her soul-mates, but we do not know for sure._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"However, until Aro saw her in Laurent's mind, we had no idea who our mate was. We had been searching for her for 18 years, so that we could protect her, even from afar, but our efforts were fruitless. We are deeply distressed at the circumstances, but elated that we finally know who and where our mate is."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"I would dearly love to look at your thoughts, young Seth, if you would allow me," Aro said, holding out his hand with a smile._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Seth lowered his eyes, "Umm," he hesitated, "I'm pretty sure my Alpha would be completely pissed off if I let you do that. Sorry. Vampires are sort of our number one enemy. Although I don't feel the urge to kill any of you, which is weird," he added, as his eyes cut to Jane and back quickly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Aro waved away the apology as Caius reminded his brothers that they were to meet the guards in their study soon._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Felix will help you wash up, if you'd like," Caius offered, "and find you some clean clothes. You will, of course, be accompanying us back to Washington. I suspect your pack is frantic over your abduction, and we will have to handle them with great care."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Especially now," Marcus put in, once again looking between Jane and Seth and smiling. Aro noticed this, and touched Marcus's hand, his eyebrows climbing to the ceiling at what he saw there._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________The three brothers entered their study to find all the senior guard, except Felix and Demetri, waiting for them. They dispatched Alec and Jane to see to all the packing for the upcoming trip. Then they addressed the remaining guards: Heidi, Afton, Chelsea, Santiago, and Renata._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Without preamble, Aro began, "My brothers and I have news which will greatly impact our coven forever. Fifteen centuries ago, Marcus became aware of a mating bond the three of us would share with one person. A person who was not born until eighteen years ago."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"September 13th," Heidi interrupted with a grin. "We heard you that day, Master Aro. You had never been more excited and you were not exactly quiet. I remember when Jane came to me and demanded to know the date."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"Yes, Heidi, thank-you," Aro replied dryly. "Be glad I never heard a whisper of a rumour among the guards. I would have been most displeased if our news were known before we had chosen to make it so."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________"That is no longer an issue, Aro," Caius stated. He then glared warningly at the senior guard, "This news does not travel further than this room. The three of us have been personally searching for our mate since that day eighteen years ago. Mere hours ago, we finally discovered her whereabouts. Unfortunately, we also discovered she has been most grievously injured and is even now in danger from another of our kind. We are leaving to tend to our mate. We are uncertain how long we will be, but we have sent for Sulpicia, Athenodora and Didyme to oversee the Volturi in our stead. You will obey their orders. Ensure that they are not disrespected by outsiders. And watch my new toy. If we are not back before he is mobile, throw him in the dungeon. There is no need to be gentle about it. That is all."_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________****_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Little more than half a day later, the Volturi jet touched down in Port Angeles. After much debate, Seth had called Jake. Billy had answered, and was ready to call Sam before Seth managed to convince the Elder that it would be better if he made contact with Jake first. He asked about Bella, and learned that she had been transferred to the acute-care center in Port Angeles. Jake was with her, but the rest of the pack was still in La Push. He also asked after his sister, and was told that Leah was nearly completely healed. He thanked Billy for his discretion, and told him he would contact his family soon._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	8. Interlude - The flight over

Interlude: The Flight Over

Seth gaped at the large jet as they drove up. It was simply sleek and black, with one crimson stripe along its length.

"Ah, Demetri, the Global, excellent," Marcus praised the guard. Alec and Demetri had been sent ahead to complete the pre-flight checklist and secure a runway. The Volturi would be wheels up in about 10 minutes. 

"Come, Seth!" Aro said, as he clapped the boy on the back. The vampire leader had regained some of his natural exuberance, now that they were on their way to Bella. "The exterior is not nearly as impressive as the interior. Or the flight deck. Do you know anything about aeronautics?" When Seth shook his head, Aro shook his also. "What a shame! I remember when the airplane was barely more than a dream. In fact, I commissioned DaVinci to build a model for me, an ornithopter, based on one of his designs. What a brilliant human he was! He would have made a wonderful vampire, although sometimes I wonder if such genius, such innovation, is a gift in exchange for a mortal life. It seems that while we vampires can learn, we lack that instinct to develop the wonders you take for granted today. I just got a new cell phone a few weeks ago. It has a 1.3 megapixel camera! Fantastic. I remember when the telephone was invented. The camera, too. Do you have a cell phone? No? We must get you one."

"Aro! Be seated. Demetri and Alec have been cleared for takeoff," Marcus shot his brother a rare look of irritation. With a devious smirk, he addressed a bemused Seth. "You may sit next to Jane, Seth. She will not talk incessantly the whole flight. Aro takes great delight in all human inventions, but his special fondness is for electronics. On that subject, more than any others, it is difficult to stop him once he begins."

Seth's head was reeling, as he sat down. He had been born to an age of airplanes, internet, cell phones, and flat screen TVs. He simply could not imagine the changes these vampires had seen in their time.

Jane saw his dazed expression and tried to hide a smile. She could barely remember being that young. Even though she and Alec had been turned when they were just 14, they had been vampires for well over a thousand years. Her human life was not something she cared to dwell upon, but in the time when she was born, she would not have been considered still a child.

In a rare show of humour, she leaned to Seth and whispered, "Did you know the Masters are older than paper?"

"We are also older than parchment, my dear," Marcus said. "But not as old as papyrus."

Jane smirked and Felix laughed aloud. The large vampire had to hunch himself over when he entered the aircraft, and had taken a seat right away. The seats were large and leather, with plenty of leg-room, and still he looked awkward in it. Seth's head had nearly brushed the ceiling, but the chair he sank down in was blissfully comfortable.

He relaxed into the flight and studied the vampires around him. He wondered why his wolf refused to see these vampires as a threat. He had reacted to their scent at first, when his head was too muddled for his wolf to appear, but now he was sufficiently healed, and he still had no urge to phase. It made sense for him to feel that way about Jane, even though he was still confused about imprinting on a vampire, but he didn't understand the rest of them.

He knew they drank human blood; he could see it in their eyes. But they seemed entirely civilized and polite. Maybe it was because they had taken care of him, or maybe it was because they had dealt with Laurent, or maybe it was simply because they were Jane's coven. He just couldn't figure it out. He would have to ask Sam, or maybe Jake. Jake seemed more open-minded. He already dreaded the reaction his imprinting would get from the tribe.

With a sigh, he turned to Jane, and his entire body relaxed at the sight of her. Aside from her cute remark about the brothers, she had barely said two words to him since he had imprinted. Contemplating that, he wet his lips and took a breath. . . only to find he didn't know what to say.

"I see you gaping like a fish, boy. What do you want? Why do you stare at me so?" Jane's voice was once again cold and authoritative.

"Umm, I just thought that maybe we could talk a little. You know, like how old are you? Alec is your brother, right? How did you become a vampire? I want to know about you." Seth rushed his questions out in one breath, and then took another and held it. He briefly contemplated smacking himself in the forehead, but decided that would make him look like the idiot he thought he sounded like.

Jane scowled, "Yes, Alec is my brother. My twin, in fact. Master Aro changed us because he thought we would possess gifts as vampires. Gifts that would help him bring order to our world. He saved us. We are many centuries old. Does that answer all you wished to know about me?"

"Do you guys have gifts?"

"Yes, but you do not want to experience them," she said shortly, before dismissing him from her thoughts and turning to the window. Seth sighed.

Marcus chuckled softly at the young vampire. He could tell she was interested in Seth, but she was stubborn. And prickly. Jane took a long time to warm to someone, and was only truly herself when alone with members of the Elite guard and the brothers. Including Seth in the small joke earlier had been quite out of character for her.

Taking pity on the shifter, Marcus addressed him, "Tell us about yourself, Seth. How old are you? Tell us about your tribe. I am interested. There is no need to reveal secrets - say only what you will."

"Bella," Caius interrupted, "you will tell us all you know of our mate."

"If you please," Aro added, glaring at Caius, who frowned and then nodded slightly.

Seth spoke at length as the plane cut through the air. Jane glanced at him curiously when he said he was fourteen, tilting her head in appraisal. He blushed a bit, and she looked away. He told them about his family, and that his sister was also a wolf, the only female to ever phase.

"She must have been the one I saw in Laurent's mind, then. The one thrown into the tree. We owe your family much," Aro stated, "We must find a way to repay you."

"Yeah, Leah hates being a wolf. And since she's one because of vampires in our area, she hates vampires. I think she'd bite your arm off before it was fully extended to shake her hand."

He resumed talking when Caius shot him a dark and impatient look. "Bella Swan," he sighed, "moved to Forks last spring to live with her dad. Charlie Swan is the Chief of Police in Forks. He's best friends with my dad, and Billy, who is Jake's dad and the Chief of the tribe. Jake and Bella hang out a lot. I haven't really spent a lot of time with Jake yet, so I don't know much more about her. I did hear she used to date one of the Cullens."

"Jake is the other wolf that was with you, correct?" Aro clarified. "He chose to protect Bella, rather than try to retrieve you. An action that likely saved both your life and hers, although he could not have known it then. Laurent and Victoria were in the water watching him and Bella walk the beach that last night. They could not hear much of the conversation, through the distance and the waves, but they heard him refer to himself as Alpha. He also said something about a treaty with the Cullens."

"I'd like to know what Carlisle is doing making treaties with werewolves!" Caius cut in sharply. "Children of the Moon or Shifters, it matters not if they are meant to be enemies of the vampires. And why was our mate dating a Cullen, Aro?"

"Why would I know that, Caius? Until I can see into her mind I will not have that answer. I am not omnipotent!" Aro huffed.

"We are meant to kill vampires," Seth continued, "if what all the legends say is true. The Cullens are not allowed on our land, and they have to stick to their diet while in Forks. They also are not allowed to bite anyone. I'm sure if we ever saw them with red eyes we would rip them apart first and ask questions later. Which is why I just don't understand why I haven't phased yet, and attacked you all. I should be struggling to stay human, not telling you about my family. And, yes, Jake is the rightful Alpha, but he's not leading the pack just yet. Sam is, since he's been a wolf the longest and has the most experience"

"I believe it is your connection to our Jane that is at the root of your unusual reaction, or lack thereof," Marcus declared with a knowing look at Aro. He watched as Seth blushed and lowered his eyes.

Jane's head whipped around and she demanded sharply, "What connection?!"

"I imprinted on you," Seth mumbled. "It's a wolf thing."

"It is a most intriguing bond," Marcus mused. "I have never seen its like. It's like a million gossamer-thin threads have sprung from Jane and embedded themselves within Seth's being. When I look more closely I see the tip of each strand, the tip within you, Seth, is barbed like a porcupine quill. If you were to pull away, Jane, I believe you would shred his very soul. And likely doom yourself as well."

Jane hissed, incensed, "What have you done, _dog _? Release me from this strange magic!"__

__Seth winced at Jane's tone and her insult, and fired back indignantly, "I have no control over it! I am as surprised as you are, to have imprinted on a vampire. I have no control over it," he repeated._ _

__"Would you explain more about this phenomenon, young Seth?" Marcus requested. "Is it a common occurrence among you shifters? Can it be reversed? What type of bond is it?"_ _

__"Well the legends say it's rare, but it doesn't seem all that rare to me. I am the third one to have imprinted, and my first shift was only. . ." he broke off. . . "wait, what day is it? It was Saturday night when I was taken. I had shifted for the first time earlier that day." His stomach gurgled and he realized he hadn't eaten since Felix had brought him some bruschetta and warm skewered mozzarella along with some clean clothes. He'd had to ask what the food was, but it had been very tasty._ _

__"So new to the pack? It is Tuesday, quite early in the morning." Caius informed him. "We will be in Washington by early afternoon. This craft is able to make the flight without having to stop and refuel."_ _

__"Wow, cool! Anyway, there isn't really a good explanation about why we imprint. Sam's theory is kind of shot, now that my imprint is a vampire. He thinks that it is all about baby wolves - that the person who we imprint on is the best match to reproduce and carry on the gene, or something like that."_ _

__Jane snorted in disgust. "Because women are breeding machines. Nice to know that so much has changed in thirteen hundred years." She stomped to the galley at the front of the plane and snapped the divider shut firmly._ _

__Seth's mouth dropped open. " _Thirteen hundred years! _" he repeated in hushed disbelief. He shook off his amazement, and continued, "Billy thinks we imprint on the person who would make our wolf stronger. But I really don't know what that means. I'm not sure he knows, either."___ _

____"And so this is a mating bond?" Marcus asked. "The theory of it being for reproductive purposes suggests that."_ _ _ _

____"Well, it's been a mating bond so far, but the stories say that the wolf will be whatever the imprint needs, even if that's just a friend, or brother."_ _ _ _

____"I already have a brother, and I choose my own friends," Jane said, coming back to the cabin. "And I am definitely _not _your mate." She handed Seth a plate of food and Marcus looked away, biting his cheek to hide a smile. Jane didn't notice as she went on, "So, if this is about what I need, then I need you to just leave me alone. And stop staring!"___ _ _ _

______Marcus decided now wasn't the time to spell out the difference between want and need to Jane. He was quite sure she had no clue what she actually needed. Instead, he turned to Seth, and offered him the stateroom at the back of the plane. Seth thanked Jane for the food and, finishing it quickly, found the sleeping area and dropped off swiftly._ _ _ _ _ _


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The drive to the medical centre was tense. The Volturi Masters were so close to their mate, and yet they could not just walk into her room and expect to be welcomed. 

"Why don't we just go in to see her anyway, and eat anyone who tries to remove us?" Caius groused. Seth's wolf sat up and growled at this, but Seth tamped him down. He was fairly certain Caius wasn't serious.

"Caius!" Marcus snapped, "Do not antagonize Seth, or this Jake, who is with her also. We do not want to anger the shifters. Remember their purpose, and that these wolves protected our Bella. Besides, her father will be one who stands in our way, and I do not believe we would endear ourselves to our mate, were we to make him a meal."

"Could you speak with Jake on our behalf, Seth?" Aro put in. "Perhaps he will be agreeable to at least meeting us and together we could think on how to approach her father. We must see our mate this very afternoon; there will be no more waiting."

"I can try that I suppose. I have to talk to him about Jane anyway, and that could be a good lead in to, 'Oh, by the way, Jake, I also have six other human-drinking vampires with me, and three are Bella's soul-mates. Be a pal and let them see her, would you?'" He seemed to be the only one amused, so he went on it a subdued tone, "Jake's a good guy; I'll talk to him."

They got to the hospital and the others stayed in the car as Seth walked in. He was informed that Bella was in the ICU, and visitors needed to be checked in.

"I actually wanted to talk to someone who is here with her, if you don't mind," he smiled at the woman behind the counter. "His name is Jacob Black. Is there a way for you to call him and let him know I need to see him? I'm Seth."

"I'll just call up to the nurse's station. You can wait there," she said, pointing to a row of plastic chairs behind Seth. He looked at them askance, and found a bare spot of wall to lean against, facing the elevators. A few minutes later, the doors opened, and Jake nearly sprinted out of the car. His face lit with a grin when he saw Seth, and he pulled him into a hug, only to draw back a moment later with a scowl.

"Seth, man! What the hell? What happened to you? You've been gone for nearly three days. If you were OK, couldn't you have called someone to let them know? The pack is worried sick, your parents are frantic, Leah won't come out of her room or talk to anyone, and half the pack wants to string me up for letting that leech take you. And here you are, looking entirely healed, and absolutely reeking of bloodsuckers!" He punctuated his rant with arms thrown up, shaking lightly. "I am glad to see you, though," he added.

"I'm glad to see you, too. I talked to Billy. He told me you were here, but I asked him not to say anything to anyone. I needed to talk to you first, Jake. Before Sam or anyone else. I'll call my family after."

Jake looked at the younger boy. Seth looked entirely serious, which was unlike him. Normally, Seth was cheerful, even a bit on the naive side. He was, Jake supposed, a little like Jake himself. But now he looked almost as though he were backed into a corner.

"Let's go outside, Seth, and you can tell me. I promise I'll listen, no matter how bad you think it is." He led Seth to a small green space near the hospital, where they sat against one of the trees. "Start from what happened after that bloodsucker with the dreads took you."

"I thought I was going to die, Jake. When I woke up the smell of leech was so strong that I puked. But my head was pounding too badly to phase. And then. . . well, and then I just didn't want to phase, even when I felt better." He took a breath. "I was in Italy Jake, and I imprinted on a vampire."

"Italy?" Jake queried, after a pause. He needed time to think about a vampire as an imprint.

"Yeah, I woke up there yesterday. Laurent had banged me up pretty good. He took me to the Volturi, but he made a big mistake. Which is the next thing I have to tell you," he stopped as Jake interrupted firmly.

"The Volturi? You mean the leaders of the vampire world?" At Seth's wary nod, he continued, "Did you meet the Kings? 

Seth gaped at Jake, and then muttered, "There are times when I feel like I will never understand anything." Louder, he added, "You know about them? That makes this easier, I guess. They want to talk to you. The vampire I imprinted on is one of their guards. Her name is Jane. They are waiting in the car, do you want to meet them there?

Jake sighed, assuming that they would want privacy for the conversation he suspected was about to take place. And yet, the prospect of being in a confined space with leech-stink did not appeal to him. Still, he nodded at Seth's question, and followed his wolf-brother to the long limousine.

He didn't expect to be met with the red-eyed gazes of seven vampires when he opened the door. Nevertheless, he maintained his composure, knowing that the female was Seth's imprint. If Seth's wolf had not made an appearance in front of these others, then he knew that this Jane considered this group family. He would not physically or emotionally harm an imprint.

Even so, Jake was unsure of this new development. Sam and Jared were the only other imprinted wolves, and they definitely had a mating bond. It seemed to lend credence to Sam theory of genetic compatibility, but this imprint of Seth's blew that idea out of the water. He decided to wait until he was phased with Seth to view it through the mind link. He knew that the Elders, Sam and the rest of the pack would be very unhappy about this, and he suspected that his time as Alpha was fast approaching. He mildly regretted taking on so much responsibility so soon, but was sure it would be best for the tribe. Good leaders could not afford to be so blindly prejudice. It would prevent them from recognizing real dangers.

Steeling himself for the upcoming conversation, Jake entered the limo. He looked at Seth, "I think this conversation is best held in private, Seth. Maybe Jane can take a walk with you? I'm sure they can contact her when we're done here, and then I'll take you back to La Push, and we can deal with the fallout together."

Aro nodded, "Jane, dear, go with young Seth. I'll call you when we are done here."

Jane exited the vehicle with a glare at everyone except Seth - him she ignored completely. Everyone could hear her muttering as she began walking in a random direction. "Oh sure, just like men. Stick together, no matter what. 'The link to the boy is intriguing, Jane. There is no denying it, Jane. Go for a walk with him, Jane.' Didn't I say I needed him to leave me alone? I'm pretty sure I heard myself say that," she stopped, and turned back to the young wolf, who was standing with his shoulders hunched dejectedly.

"Well," she snapped, "are we going for a walk, or not? I am fairly certain I am walking, and you are just standing there." With that, she stalked away once more. Seth swallowed his delighted grin and followed quickly.

Jake cocked his head as he contemplated them. _Yes, definitely a strange imprint. _Pushing that issue to the back of his mind, he shut the door and regarded the others still in the vehicle. His wolf was on edge; he was outnumbered, and couldn't phase in such a small space anyway. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, reminding himself that they were probably not his enemy, no matter their nature.__

__Aro broke the silence. "You are Jake, rightful Alpha of the Wolf-Shifters?" It sounded like a question, but was obviously not. Jake nodded. "Is this private enough for you, or should I send away the guard?"_ _

__Jake shook his head, "If this is private enough for you, then I'm good. I just didn't want Seth in here. Anything he thinks about while he's a wolf will be known to the pack before the thought is barely complete. I can keep my mind private, but I am the Alpha, as you said. Seth doesn't have any practice controlling or blocking his thoughts. Bella is already uncomfortable with Sam and a couple others; I refuse to betray her trust by allowing the pack mind into her intimate affairs."_ _

__"You are indeed a most worthy friend, Jake." Marcus said, "Loyalty is a rare and treasured gift that you give our mate. I am Marcus, of the Volturi, and these are my soul-brothers, Aro and Caius."_ _

__"So, she is your mate, then," Jake confirmed, "We had just figured that out a few minutes before she was attacked. Although she seemed to think that one of you had already been mated."_ _

__"What!" Caius cried angrily, "Who would feed her that lie?"_ _

__"She learned everything she knows about your world from the Cullens," Jake said. "She told me Carlisle had a painting of you, and when she asked he warned her about you. He said he had been told your mate had died, Marcus. He also said that you were all cruel, ruthless, and dangerous, with a complete disdain for human life."_ _

__Caius chuckled, appeased, "Well, Marcus has never had a mate other than Bella, dead or otherwise, but we can be cruel, ruthless, and dangerous when necessary."_ _

__"But we most certainly do not disdain human life," Aro put in, "Humans offer so much more than their blood, although I admit that sometimes that is the best part." His red eyes gleamed appreciatively and Jake snarled lightly._ _

__Marcus frowned at Aro, "First Caius, then you. _Please _do not provoke the shifters. Discussions about our dietary habits can certainly wait until after we have been assured of our mate's wellbeing."___ _

____Abashed, Aro agreed, "Forgive me, Jake. I did not mean to anger you. We will be forever grateful to you, Seth, and Leah, for protecting our Bella. I do not know if Seth mentioned my gift to you, but I am able to see a person's every thought with a single touch. I warn you, though, it will be every thought and experience you have ever had, awake or asleep, from the beginning of your consciousness. If you allow me to touch you, I will know all you know, or have thought, about Bella. May I?"_ _ _ _

____Jake regarded Aro's outstretched hand cautiously. He appreciated the explicit warning, and respected the vampire for being so honest about the entirety of his gift._ _ _ _

____"I will give you my hand," he finally said, "but you probably won't like everything you see in my mind about your mate. Please understand that, while I know she is not my mate, I have loved her since we were children. I know she is not mine," he repeated, "and you are what her soul needs. But neither she nor I were aware of that until a few days ago. You might envy me for the years I knew her and you didn't, but try not to lose your temper when you see my thoughts about her. I don't think I'd survive an attack in here."_ _ _ _

____Caius scowled when he imagined what thoughts this virile young wolf would entertain about their mate, but Aro nodded his head gravely. "I will not bias my conclusion based solely on your past thoughts, Jake. I must also consider your current mind, and your actions. While not normally so personally affected, I have sat in judgement of the vampire world for over a thousand years. I would like to believe that, over time, I have learned to moderate fairly._ _ _ _

____And so Jake gave Aro his hand. The ancient vampire's facial expressions changed many times over short period of time he sat reading Jake's live, but he did not say a thing until he sat back._ _ _ _

____"A most worthy friend, indeed," was the first thing he said, "and so mature in your thoughts. I agree with you regarding shifters and vampires, and would like to speak of it in greater detail, at another time. Brothers, words will never be enough to convey just how much we owe this young Alpha. He has been a source of comfort and light to our mate in this last year. Steadfast and true."_ _ _ _

____"What did you see of the Cullens?" Caius growled._ _ _ _

____"Ah, our old _friend _Carlisle and his family may find their next visit to Volterra involuntary and unpleasant. Jake thinks they regarded her as a pet, treated her poorly, protected her badly, and abandoned her heartlessly."___ _ _ _

______"And brothers," he added, as his eyes blackened and his chest rumbled with a growl, "they allowed her to be bitten by Victoria's mate. On her left wrist. That is the scar and the pain we felt. Our mate was bitten by a strange male, and not permitted to change! This son of Carlisle's, Edward, sucked the venom out. And she was his singer!" he concluded with a roar._ _ _ _ _ _

______Marcus and Caius snarled, and in that moment Jake was glad he was not a Cullen. He was relieved when the subject quickly moved to Charlie, and getting him to allow the Volturi in to see and stay with Bella. After some discussion, they decided there was nothing they could do but tell Charlie the whole truth. No amount of inventiveness would explain the three strange males appearing without prior acquaintance and refusing to leave Bella's side. Jake was sent to persuade Charlie to leave Bella's side for the time it would take to convince him to trust Bella's future to three vampire mates. Felix and Demetri were ordered to scout the area, to ensure that there were no other vampires waiting._ _ _ _ _ _

______It took some time to get Charlie to agree to take a break from his bedside vigil. Bella had no other family to sit with her, except Charlie. Renee had been furious when Bella refused to leave Forks after the Cullens had left, and had not spoken to either Bella or Charlie in months. Every form of communication went unanswered, and Charlie was disgusted by her pettiness. He had been grateful when Jake had insisted on staying also, assuring Charlie that the school would understand and Jake wouldn't fall behind._ _ _ _ _ _

______Charlie balked when Jake led him to the limousine. "You didn't say anything about leaving the hospital, Jake. What do you want that we can't talk about here? Bella has no one watching her."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Bella has more protection than you know now, Charlie," Jake replied. "That's what I want to talk to you about. But you aren't going to believe me without proof, and for that we need somewhere without an audience. There's a park nearby with a lot of tree cover. It's only about five minutes. You listen on the way there, and you can yell at me on the way back, if you want."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Charlie huffed and got in the vehicle, glowering at the three men inside. "Who are you, and what do any of you have to do with my Bella? And what do you mean she has protection, Jake? From whom?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Just listen, Charlie, and we'll explain." Jake began with the Quileute legends, moved on to the Cullens and Bella, and concluded with Bella's dreams._ _ _ _ _ _

______Charlie's expression got progressively darker, but he held his tongue until Jake was done. "You are telling me," he began in a low, measured tone, "that Bella was dating a vampire who treated her like a pet, and no one ever thought I should know? You're saying that everyone important in my life knew all of this, and not one of you thought I could be trusted? I have been best friends with Harry and Billy for more than thirty years!"_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jake and the Kings regarded Charlie with perplexed astonishment. "You don't need me to prove it to you, Charlie?" Jake asked._ _ _ _ _ _

______"No," Charlie stated flatly. "You seem to forget my position in Forks, the career I have. I knew there was something odd about the Cullens. There were too many things that were strange, or didn't add up. But Carlisle was liked and respected, and everyone said he was a good doctor. Dedicated, hard-working, tireless. And his kids never got into any sort of trouble. Even if I couldn't stand seeing Bella with that Edward, I could come up with no good reason to make her stay away. I've also never seen growth spurts like you and the others in your pack went through before. It's just not normal._ _ _ _ _ _

______"And you are not the kind of man who would pull me away from Bella, at a time like this, just to start spinning fairy tales. Or horror stories, or whatever," he turned to the three other men in the car. "Now that Jake has told me his part, I am going to ask again. Who are you and what do you have to do with my daughter?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Chief Swan," Marcus began, "I am Marcus, and this is Aro and Caius. We are the Volturi, and our coven maintains order within the vampire world." He explained his gift, and the bond the brothers share. He told Charlie everything, from the time they were little more than rapacious animals, to the way they were now regarded by some in the vampire world. He described the way he had first discovered their shared mating bond, and the work they did to ensure a safer world for their mate. Charlie goggled when Marcus mentioned their age and how long they had waited for their mate, and frowned deeply when the ancient King detailed the day she was born, and the searching they had done._ _ _ _ _ _

______"The bond changed incrementally when she became aware of our world and we knew we would meet her soon. We felt the pain of the vampire bite she sustained," he paused at growls from Aro and Caius, and a shouted oath from Charlie, "although she was prevented from changing. And we felt her soul searching for ours, the bond flaring brightly when she realized who her mates are. She is destined for us, Chief, as we are destined for her. The bond has existed as long as we have, growing from within the very core of our beings. She is our essence, our spirit, our soul. Without her, we are nothing more than empty shells, existing through eternity without purpose. We will not be kept from her, but we do not want to make ourselves your enemy."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"Bella needs them just as much as they need her, Charlie," Jake put in when Charlie sat back and said nothing. "Those dreams she has been having are about them. All three of them. She has been trying desperately to reach them, as they have been trying desperately to reach her. Not sleeping, barely eating, retreating into herself? That's her soul crying with loneliness, feeling incomplete."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Charlie leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. His voice was heavy with regret as he spoke, "Your dad gave me too much credit, Jake. I may have noticed Bella was hurting, but after you started to visit her, I didn't do a thing. I should have tried to talk to her more."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"She wouldn't have told you anything, Charlie," Jake tried to soothe. "The Cullens told her that any human aware of vampires are either turned or killed. No exceptions. She was afraid for you. Besides, how do you tell your dad that you're meant to be with three men?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______Charlie's eyes snapped open and he glared at everyone. "I was trying not to think about that, thanks, Jake! But it sounds like, even if I could keep you three away from her, all I would be doing is hurting Bella. She's been hurt enough. Now let's head back to the hospital. I'll make sure you are allowed to see and stay with her. The doctor kept her unconscious for a couple days, but weaned her off the drugs this morning. She hasn't woken up yet, but she should sometime today." He rubbed his hand over his face. "God, I hope she wakes up._ _ _ _ _ _

______"And Jake, you will tell me who else is protecting her and why she needs protection. How did these three find her, and what really happened? This wasn't an accident was it?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______"No Charlie," Jake responded, as Aro ordered Alec to drive them back to the hospital, "it wasn't. We need to pick up Seth and get to La Push. There is a lot of explaining to do, and I may just appreciate your support at the end of the day. Who knows?" he muttered, "Seth and I might need a place to live."_ _ _ _ _ _

______***---***---_ _ _ _ _ _

______The Kings looked at their mate, anguish colouring every line of their bodies. The moment they had looked upon her, Marcus saw his bond and Caius's progress to equal Aro's once more. Bella looked so small, so vulnerable. Her head was swathed with bandages, she had a cast on one leg, and she was a mass of bruises and road rash. What undamaged skin they could see was as pale as theirs. She had IVs hooked up to the tender flesh on the back of her hand, and a cannula at her nostrils delivering oxygen. Bags and wires were everywhere, caring for her needs and monitoring every function of her body. Machines whirred and beeped, and the brothers had a hard time containing the rage within themselves._ _ _ _ _ _

______Charlie and Jake stood in the doorway. They wanted to see Bella before they left for La Push, and witness the vampires' interaction with her. Charlie would not be entirely comfortable until he saw for himself that they cared for her._ _ _ _ _ _

______Ever so lightly, as though he was reaching to touch a butterfly's wing, Aro brought the back of his fingers to Bella's cheek. He stroked once, and then abruptly stopped. His eyes flew to his brothers'. He looked panicked, his eyes lost, wild, and frightened._ _ _ _ _ _

______"Her mind, brothers, it is not there! I cannot see her thoughts! What if she is damaged beyond repair?" he pulled his hand back and dropped his head, looking defeated. Marcus and Caius looked a hair's breadth away from despair._ _ _ _ _ _

______Jake strode to the black-haired vampire and laid his hand upon Aro's shoulder. "Remember that Edward could not read her mind, either, Aro. You heard her say that in my mind. Didn't you take note of it?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______Aro's head snapped up and his eyes cleared. "You are right, of course. It was pushed to the back of my mind, but you are correct. Remarkable," he breathed. "She is remarkable in every way. It appears she is immune to gifts that affect the mind," he explained to his brothers._ _ _ _ _ _

______Bella's head throbbed and her body ached everywhere. She recognized the light, floating feeling of morphine, but if she was feeling the pain then it was wearing off. She felt a cool, delicate brush against her cheek, and her spirits buoyed. The voice she heard was a balm to her soul, but the hopelessness within the tone made her heart ache. She wanted nothing more than to comfort and soothe. She warred in her mind, willing herself to open her eyes. The lids were heavy, and her eyes ached, but several moments later she was able to lift those lids a fraction._ _ _ _ _ _

______Marcus detected the movement, and called his brothers to attention. They each laid a gentle hand upon their mate and spoke soothing words, full of love and devotion. Bella's eyes were unfocused; all she saw was three blurry shapes hovering over her with great care. But it was enough. Relief suffused her every pore, and she opened parched lips to whisper just three words, before her eyes fluttered shut again and she fell into peaceful repose._ _ _ _ _ _

______"You found me."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Caius fell to his knees and laid his head upon the bed, breathing in his mate; Aro choked back the emotion threatening to overwhelm him; and Marcus saw the bond flare, the blossoms opening fully as the pieces of one soul united finally from four separate beings._ _ _ _ _ _


	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: All mistakes are my own. I have no one who looks at this before I post it, so there will be mistakes. Hopefully not too many, and if I catch them later and they are particularly irksome to me, I will fix them and do a quick little chapter replacement.
> 
> Google and Wikipedia are my friends. I hope this chapter meets your expectations.

Chapter 9

Marcus continued to observe the bond that had enthralled him for so many centuries. The vines had, in fact, matured throughout Bella's life, and now began to extend once more, beginning at the base of the blossoms and stretching toward their mate. He watched, astounded, as delicate strands of each of the six golden lines connecting him and his brothers appeared to twine around the growing vines. The bond reached Bella, and began to surround her, growing up and around her entire body. It encircled each arm, each leg, and her torso, before running daintily up the sides of her neck to her temples. From there, a delicate circlet of green and gold grew around her head, blossoming wildly. Then the entire bond burst into blinding brilliance before finally completing its transformation. Marcus stared in awe and appreciation. She resembled an Anthousai, a woodland nymph of flowers - ethereal, pale, and stunning.

He emerged from his bond-sight and settled to observe his sleeping mate. Even when she didn't resemble a minor goddess from Greek mythology, she was exquisite to his eyes.

When Bella awoke again a couple of hours later, she sensed her mates in the room. Without opening her eyes, she asked for some water. Seconds later she felt a touch at her lips, and wrapped them around the straw, sipping slowly. She let go of the straw and felt for the button she knew was on the side of the bed to raise it up a bit.

A gentle, soothing voice protested the action. "Cara mia, my sweet, darling one, do not move. You are very injured. Please do not hurt yourself further." She felt a soft touch brush the hair away from her face. "Will you open your eyes for me, preziosa?

Nuzzling toward the hand, Bella blinked and was a little surprised to find the voice and touch belonged to Caius. His actions were inconsistent with the vampire Carlisle had described. She saw his eyes alight with reverent joy, and he stroked he hair once more. He leaned his forehead down to rest against hers lightly, and his eyes drifted close as he whispered, "At last. We have found you, at last. We are whole. I am complete. At last."

Bella's could not stop the tears that spilled onto her cheeks. He sounded as she felt - as though they had been living with a barren night sky, and suddenly the moon, stars, and every manner of heavenly body appeared in a shower of brilliance. She no longer felt dark, empty and hopeless; this vampire looked at her as though he would thank her for the opportunity to spend the remainder of his existence worshipping her.

It was overwhelming, and the pain and isolation of her entire life swept over her in the face of absolute adoration. She began to weep; great, heaving sobs wracked her body, releasing all the hurt she had kept inside since childhood. She didn't have to be strong for these three. She would never have to worry about taking care of herself, or them, because she had to. She would care for them to reciprocate the unequivocal love she already felt from them. There would be no flighty and irresponsible mother, no first, false love with a false family to mould her into a shell of herself. Even the relationship she had with a father she loved was awkward and emotionally stilted. With these vampires, she was finally free, finally safe, and the relief engulfed her.

As her tears subsided, she became aware of her mates around her. Caius had gathered her ever-so-carefully into his arms, wrapping himself around her protectively. His chest rumbled a soothing cadence as he let her sob. Aro's hand caressed her hip and leg on the side opposite Caius. He held the hand that housed her IV to his lips, ensuring that the lines didn't pull, and pressed fervent kisses to her palm.

Marcus was running his cool hand from the crown of her head down her spine to the base, over and over again. He regarded her and her bonds sadly, seeing purity in only three. Jake, of course, had offered unconditional friendship, even reining in the baser instincts of his wolf to help her unite with her vampire mates. Her father, while absent and emotionally distant, loved her while expecting nothing in return. He was not perfect, but the bond was pure.

The final bond was theirs, of course. Pure with passion. The white five-petalled blossoms were perfect in every way. Caius would know what they were; he had studied flowers when the buds appeared, as a way to feel included in the bond.

All the other bonds she had made in her life were tainted and decayed, or weak and crumbling. Their fragile young mate had only two she could rely on in her life, before they had found her. The knowledge angered him, even as he offered thanks to the Gods of his ancient Greece for the gift of their mate.

Bella had stopped crying, and Caius gently tilted her face up to his. His fingers traced the circles beneath her eyes, wiping away tears, and noticing that she, as Jake said, had not been sleeping well of late. He eased her back to the mattress with a quiet admonishment.

"My darling, lay back. You need your rest. Know that we are here for you and will never leave you. You belong to us."

"And we belong to you," Aro continued. "We have waited so long, so very many years, for you. We are overjoyed to be with you."

"Although we wish you were not injured, " finished Marcus. "We will protect you, sweet darling, from any who dare think to harm you again. You are safe with us, forever."

Bella sighed as the last of the tension left her body. "I feel safe. Entirely safe, entirely whole, entirely right. Maybe my body is bruised and broken, but my soul has found its home with you." Her eyes drifted shut, "You are not what I expected. Don't leave me." She heard Marcus's reassurance as she fell asleep once more.

"We will stay by your side, amata. Our devotion to you is unshakable. Sleep now."

***---***

Jake had called his father before arriving on the reservation, and asked him to gather the Elders and the pack. The entire pack, Jake specified, including anyone who was scheduled to patrol. He assured his father that La Push would be protected. He also asked that Harry, Sue and Leah be told that Seth was safe. He told Billy to include Sue in the meeting, even though she was not on the Council. Billy had agreed, although he knew there would be a fight with Sam about suspending the patrols, even for a short time.

It was late afternoon when Jake and Seth arrived at the border of La Push with Charlie, Jane, Felix, and Demetri. Alec had dropped the five of them off at Charlie's, where they picked up the cruiser. Then Alec returned to the hospital to provide extra protection to Bella. The large vampire and the tracker had spent the afternoon scouring Port Angeles and Forks for signs of vampires, but found none. Demetri had been able to pick up Victoria's essence from Seth in Volterra, and realized he also knew it from his coven-mate Heidi. He remembered how Victoria had evaded them five hundred years ago, and informed the Kings of who she was. He knew she was in Seattle, and would be able to warn his Masters if she started toward Bella. Regardless of any gift she possessed, there would be no escape for Victoria once the brothers focussed upon her capture.

Jake had asked Demetri and Felix to come along and guard La Push, while he met with the Elders and pack. Jake did not want anyone shifted before he had a chance to bring Jane onto the reservation to meet the Elders and discuss the situation. He phased at the border, and when he sensed no other wolves, nodded his head for Seth to join him. Although he himself was certain of the imprint, he had a duty to check Seth's mind to ensure the bond was legitimate. As an imprint, Jane was allowed on Tribal lands, but because she was a vampire, the pack would attack her on sight. Jake did not want a fight to break out before he had a chance to proclaim his authority over the wolves, and he could not in good conscious do that without performing some due diligence. He would claim his birthright before Jane, Seth and Charlie joined them. After checking Seth's imprint, and assuring both himself and the younger wolf that it was indeed authentic, he and Seth phased back. He asked Charlie to bring the imprinted duo to the meeting in thirty minutes.

He walked into the Council Hall and saw his father and Seth's, along with Old Quil and Lucas Uley, sitting at the front of the room. Sue Clearwater sat next to her husband. The Alpha wolf was also an Elder, but Sam was with the pack, looking grim. Jake was immediately bombarded by growls, exclamations, and anxious wolves demanding answers.

"Dude! What the fuck? You reek!"

"Jake, man. Where the hell have you been?"

"Jacob Black! Where is my brother, you fucking asshole? You said he was safe, but you smell like you bathed in bloodsuckers. What, did you stand by and watch while they took him away again?"

"I thought you were with your precious Bella, Jake."

Before anything more could be said, Jake snarled at the pack and shouted, "ENOUGH! Shut up, all of you." His voice rang with the authority of his Alpha ancestors, and the room fell silent. The Elders were surprised that Jake was asserting himself, and the pack felt the strength of the command settle on them. "I need to tell everyone here what has happened with Bella, and with Seth and our pack. You will be quiet until I am done."

Sam walked up to Jake, contempt on his face. "You are not Alpha, Jacob Black. You are not fit to lead this pack. You chose to save a leech lover, rather than your own pack-brother. You will not take my pack from me."

Jake stood tall in front of the defiant older wolf. "You may challenge me, if you wish, Sam Uley. But you will not succeed. This pack is mine. You have led well, but it is you who is not fit to guide this pack through the changes that have already begun. Through no fault of your own, you have perpetuated blind intolerance. My birthright brings with it the wisdom of the spirit-warriors, since before we became wolves. Did you know that? There is a reason that Alpha is passed down through the bloodline. The tradition is practical. So think hard, Sam Uley. Because if you continue with this challenge, it _will _end with you submitting before me, bloodied and torn."__

__Sam studied Jake intently, noting the changes that had taken place in him since he had phased, less than two weeks ago. Physically, Jake was taller and bulkier than any of the wolves, Sam included. But the physical changes were not what impressed the current Alpha. Looking closely, Sam saw the maturity he had disregarded when Jake joined the pack. He could look into Jake's eyes and see the wolf-spirit inside the man, and the wisdom of both the wolf's and the man's ancestors. It was intimidating and humbling in equal parts, and Sam knew that Jake was telling the full truth. He would not win a challenge against his rightful pack-leader._ _

__Stepping back, he struggled with himself before lowering his head and his eyes, acknowledging Jake's words. "I don't understand what changes you mean, Jake. But I do see the wisdom of your forefathers' in you and your wolf. I will defer to you without a fight. But do not expect me not to question your judgement, if I think it flawed!"_ _

__"That is fair, Beta," Jake clapped Sam on the shoulder. "But today, as I reveal the changes already upon us, you will maintain your silence. I will not be interrupted. Questions will wait until the end."_ _

__Sam nodded, and sat down, motioning for the rest of the pack to sit as well. Still silent by the power of their new Alpha's order, the pack sat as well. They were stunned by the unexpected transition, although everyone understood that the transfer of power was not complete. Sam would have to submit in his wolf-from as well. For now, Jake was met with varying degrees of curiosity and hostility from the pack and the Elders._ _

__"Jake," Sue's tremulous voice cut through the tension-filled room. "Where is Seth? Billy said he was fine, but I don't see him."_ _

__"That is one of the first things we must all discuss. The other thing is Charlie Swan. He will be coming with Seth to this Council meeting. He has been told all. Vampires, spirit-wolves, the attack on Bella - everything."_ _

__Lucas Uley spluttered in outrage. "Why has this outsider become privy to tribal secrets? Why was he told without the consent of this council? Why were we not even consulted?"_ _

__"I will tell you, Elder, but I did not need your consent for this. There was no other choice. And, as Charlie himself pointed out, he has been best friends with members of this very council for over thirty years. He has proven himself trustworthy."_ _

__Harry and Billy looked at each other, resigned. They knew that Charlie would be angry with them, and rightly so. He should have been given more than vague warnings when Bella first became involved with the Cullens. Lucas scowled at Jake before motioning him to continue._ _

__Jake heard Charlie's cruiser approaching. Quickly, he warned, "Here comes Charlie with Seth now. None of you will phase," he stared down each wolf, and impressed his words with the weight of his authority, "and you will be quiet until I call on you." Turning to the Elders, he continued. "There is an unexpected development. Seth has imprinted. Her name is Jane. I ask you for patience as we work through this unusual bond." At that, Seth walked in with Jane, followed by Charlie._ _

__As one the wolves started to shake, unable to phase, yet clearly wanting to. Leah leapt up to the front of the room, and, snarling, stood protectively in front of her parents. Paul and Jared started forward, growling, intending to take the red-eyed vampire in human form, if necessary. Quil and Embry were watching Seth curiously as he moved in front of Jane, who rolled her eyes behind his back._ _

__Sam stared with undisguised scorn at Jake, before his wolf threw off any acceptance given by the man and phased, lunging at Seth and Jane. Jane ducked rapidly under Seth's arm, patting it absently on the way by. She fastened her gaze on Sam, who fell to the ground with a yelp, continuing to writhe in pain. A small smile played at the corners of Jane's mouth, and Jake stared hard at her for a second, taken aback by her obvious ability._ _

__"Paul, Jared, stand where you are! Leah, there is no danger here, for you especially. Jane, I believe Sam and I have things to work out between us. I would appreciate it if you would stop whatever it is I am certain you are doing. You will all accompany me to the nearby clearing, where Sam and I will settle this Alpha challenge once and for all. Then we can resume what should have been a peaceful conversation."_ _

__"Peaceful?!" Lucas raged. "She is a vampire! A Cold One! A drinker of human blood! A soulless, monstrous, murdering abomination! How dare you allow her on our land, Jacob Black! Samuel was right! You are not worthy!"_ _

__"Silence, Lucas Uley!" Old Quil's voice was powerful. "You know that an imprint is a sacred bond, given to us by the spirits. We will settle the matter of the Alpha challenge, and then we will discuss this rationally."_ _

__Sue stroked Leah's arm, before she and Harry walked cautiously up to Seth and flung their arms around him. Jane had let up on Sam, who snarled lowly before darting out the back of the hall to the nearby woods. Paul, Jared and Leah glared at the vampire, turning and following Sam to the clearing._ _

__Jake asked Quil and Embry to bring his father, before he, too, phased and darted out into the woods. He was met with anger, outrage, and hate from every wolf already there. They were practically rabid in their mindless hostility. He felt Seth, Quil and Embry phase in._ _

___"Samuel Uley!" _Jake's thoughts bellowed, stilling the pack once more, _"You have challenged me for the right to call yourself Alpha of this pack. Yet, look at yourself! No better than a feral dog, egging on your fellow wolves to senseless hate. You are not a leader. Has the spirit of Utlapa finally found a new vessel? Are you an evil man, Sam Uley, to look upon the outer shell of a being and decide its fate without delving deeper?" ______ _

______Jake continued, addressing the entire pack, _"The Great Spirit has always chosen our imprints. Never before has that been disputed. Never before has the validity of an imprint been questioned. Do you all think that I would bring an enemy into our midst? Do you think that I would not be certain before allowing such a creature onto our land? Am I not a Protector?__ _ _ _ _ _

_______"You think me weak or a fool for guarding Bella and allowing Seth to be taken. Have none of you realized that Seth is also a Protector? We are spirit-warriors, wolves. We are all prepared to face dangers to our people, even at the expense of our own lives. Why should Seth be any less of a warrior? Would you diminish him and minimize his importance to this tribe? Had Bella died that night, because I was saving Seth, our proud warrior brother would have been laid low. Guilt would have scarred his soul. Her death would have scarred this pack; our punishment for failing to protect one in need._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______"The Great Spirit had a hand in the events of that night. Seth has met his imprint, and that is a sacred bond. A worthy bond. None of you will disrespect Seth or Jane, no matter what manner of being she is. Her diet, and whatever else you feel makes her inherently offensive to you will be discussed. But the hate stops now. Samuel Uley, you will face me, and come away bloodied, as I forewarned you. After this hour you will never again be Alpha, nor will you be Beta. You have shown yourself to be irrational in your animosity. The rest of you will not interfere." ____ _ _ _ _ _

________With that Jake and Sam charged one another, beginning a dance that, were they fully wolves, would have ended in death._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't really figure out html italics. So some of these chapters are missing some italics :)

Chapter 10

The guard hairs on Jake's body bristled, and his upper lip curled to reveal glistening teeth, as he met Sam's charge with his own. Sam displayed the same aggression, and the two wolves clashed with vicious snarls. Sam grabbed Jake's shoulder, but the larger wolf rolled, kicking out with his hind legs and twisting as he came back to his feet. In a reversal of position, Jake sank his teeth into the shoulder of the black wolf, and shook him violently. He jerked his head in one swift motion, throwing Sam several feet away.

Undaunted, Sam got back to his feet, ears held forward, and bared his teeth once more. Jake raised his tail and, hunching his shoulder blades upward, lowered his head with his ears also forward; he growled menacingly at his adversary. They continued to battle fiercely, although it was obvious to everyone watching that Sam was no match for the rightful Alpha.

The fight was short, and it was bloody. Sam's initial bite had left a dark stain on the chocolate wolf's fur, but that was the only red that tainted his mouth. Jake had inflicted a lot more damage than he had taken. The black wolf was limping, gashes on his shoulder and legs causing blood to mat his fur. One ear had a ragged tear and he had teeth marks on his snout. Jake had managed more than once to bite down over Sam's muzzle, a show of dominance he hoped would get the former Alpha to yield. But Sam proved stubborn. Finally, Jake pinned his opponent to the ground, one paw over his shoulders, and Jake's jaw clamped tightly over the smaller wolf's throat.

He held Sam there, just shy of breaking skin, tail up and ears forward, displaying undeniable superiority. A bass growl sounded continuously from Jake's chest, until Sam's tail came up between his legs, and his ears lay flat back against his head. Only then did the pressure loosen.

_"I yield" _Sam thought, remaining on his back with his belly exposed. Watching carefully, Jake released him, maintaining his dominant stance. Slowly, Sam rolled over, and wiggled on his belly to the rightful Alpha. His ears were still laid back and his tail was held low alongside his leg. He whined and cocked his head, glancing at Jake quickly before lowering his eyes again. Jake took Sam's muzzle once more in his mouth, and Sam held still. When the Alpha let go, the black wolf licked his pack-leaders throat and jowls in apology.__

__Suddenly, every wolf in the pack was there, tails low but wagging, licking and nipping at Jake's blood-stained muzzle. It was an overt show of animal submission for their rightful Alpha._ _

___"Alright, you guys. Enough. Let's phase back, but same conditions apply. Respect the imprint, and wait until you're called to speak. There is a lot more to talk about today, and I'm hungry. I'd like to eat sometime tonight." ____ _

____The Elders had stayed well back from the battling wolves, and as the young men started to phase back, they moved forward to sit on fallen timber in the clearing. Jane picked up Billy's wheelchair, and carried the startled man forward until he sat with the others. Charlie gaped at her, and shook his head in wonder. He had not yet witnessed a vampire's strength, and Seth's imprint was tiny, not even five feet._ _ _ _

____Jane ignored the look and sat down away from the humans. She had been interested in the pack fight, but kept having to peer around Seth as he moved in front of her, much to her annoyance. She was tempted to give him a sample of her gift, just to prove she was not helpless, but could not bring herself to do so. That hesitance confounded her, and she started to think further about this connection, this imprint, that everyone, her Masters included, was talking about._ _ _ _

____"Now that the issue of the Alpha has been settled, we can finally move on to other matters," Billy shifted in his wheelchair, motioning for Jake to come forward. "Jacob, would you explain your actions of this day? Begin with the imprinting, as it is at the forefront of everyone's mind, I'm sure."_ _ _ _

____"I can't begin with the imprint, Dad. It's pretty much the end of the story. The imprint brings Jane here today, but it is not what brought Seth home safely. I have to start with Bella, and what she and I have been talking about for the last few weeks."_ _ _ _

____And so he began to relay the story. He told them about Bella's nightmare, although he did not go into detail, and his insight into the dream from the moment his wolf emerged. He recounted the conversation they had on the beach after the bonfire. Jake described the struggle to control his wolf, and how difficult it had been to vocalize his suspicion that she had three vampire mates. And finally, he revealed how his wolf had agreed that they had purpose long before the Cold Ones appeared on the reservation. He and Bella had theorized that Ephraim knew the same thing, he told the group, and that is why the last pack had made a treaty with the Cullens._ _ _ _

____The pack was silent still, not having been given permission to speak, but you could see a variety of expressions on their faces, as well as on the faces of the others present. Lucas, Harry and Billy had troubled frowns on their faces. From Paul and Leah there was disbelief and disgust. Jane, Embry and Jared looked thoughtful, Quil, Sue and Charlie interested, and Seth relieved. Sam looked sheepish and humble, eyes on the ground. He was still quite bruised, but he was healing fast._ _ _ _

____Old Quil merely nodded. "There is more to tell, Alpha. As the sun rises in the morning, we will start a spirit journey, seeking the answers we need. But tonight, please finish your tale. I suspect Bella has been united with her mates, and that is why you and Charlie have left her side. Is that also why Seth has returned to us safely?"_ _ _ _

____Jake nodded and continued. "Yes, Old Quil. Bella's mates are the leaders of the coven that governs the vampire world. They maintain order and secrecy and have done so for a very long time. Seth was taken to them in Italy, with the hope that they would help with her destruction and ours. Instead, Seth met his imprint, and the Volturi Masters found their mate."_ _ _ _

____"It appears as though the Great Spirit did indeed safeguard this young wolf. It is imperative that we seek guidance in the morning." Old Quil looked at Jane, "Am I correct in assuming that a mating such as your Masters' is unusual for vampires?"_ _ _ _

____Jane nodded crisply, "Not just unusual. To my knowledge it is unprecedented. As is this strange attachment Seth has with me. If you want to know more about vampire bonds, you would need to ask Master Marcus. No one has more insight into relationship ties than he does. Not just mating, but all bonds."_ _ _ _

____"None of the tribal legends even hint that a wolf would be capable of imprinting on a Cold One." Harry put in, "The possible significance of this connection causes me great unease. What would be the reason for the spirits to choose a vampire as the soul-mate of a Protector? Especially a vampire who kills humans without remorse?"_ _ _ _

____"You know nothing of the way I feed!" Jane snapped. "Do not make assumptions based on the colour of my eyes! For all you know I could be using bagged blood."_ _ _ _

____"Are you?" Sue asked with wide eyes._ _ _ _

____"Of course not! The anticoagulants are disgusting. I have dined on an animal or two, if there has been nothing else available, but the blood is vile and unsatisfying. My point is you are ignorant children, and have been terrifying yourselves with your legends until all you can think about us vampires is that we are mindless animals, without morals or sense."_ _ _ _

____At that Jane crossed her arms, huffing and grumbling incomprehensibly. Seth grinned at her, trying to sidle closer. He saw her eyes flash to him and back again, and then heard her mutter, "Speaking of mindless animals. . .", but she did not move away. His grin grew wider._ _ _ _

____Jake cleared his throat. "Yes, well. Elders, are you finished with your observations for now? I think it is time for the pack to have their say."_ _ _ _

____Surprisingly, most of the pack remained silent. Only Paul opened his mouth. "Great, now we have two fucking leech lovers." As soon as the words finished falling from his mouth, he dropped to the floor in agony._ _ _ _

____Seth wrapped his arms around Jane, fully expecting to be thrown off. "Stop, Jane. Paul's just an asshole."_ _ _ _

____"Who should learn the meaning of respect," Jake said, frowning. Jane gave Paul a cruel little smile and he cried out shrilly before she broke eye contact. She shrugged out of Seth's arms almost as an afterthought._ _ _ _

____"I think it would be well to have the entire pack spirit walk with us in the morning, Jacob. Perhaps they need a reminder of the deference due our ancestors. Perhaps they need to see why we honour them. You have someone guarding our borders right now, I assume." Old Quil's look was shrewd. "Billy said our people were protected. Will these vampires watch our land in the morning as well, so we can mend this pack discord?"_ _ _ _

____Everyone gaped at Old Quil and Jake. "There are vampires running patrols looking for vampires?" snorted Embry, "This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder."_ _ _ _

____"I can't believe you trust these leeches so much, Jake! This tribe has known the Cullens for decades and we never trusted them this much." Leah was shaking and growling beneath her breath._ _ _ _

____"And doesn't that say a lot about the Cullens?" Jake observed. "Jane, can you call Felix and Demetri to meet us here? It shouldn't take long."_ _ _ _

____Less than ten minutes later, the pack straightened up as they heard and smelled the vampires coming toward them. Felix and Demetri entered the clearing somewhat cautiously, yet they looked like they had been having a good time._ _ _ _

____The two came up to Jane and greeted her, "Jane, are you ready to go back to Port Angeles?"_ _ _ _

____Jane sighed and shook her head. "The Masters have instructed me to spend time with Seth. You know how much stock they put in bonds, and this one ties me to the boy. I am here until he is ready to go, or until the Masters call me back."_ _ _ _

____A smile played at the corners of Demetri's mouth. "Well, we found no signs of unwanted vampires in the area."_ _ _ _

____From the front of the room, Leah scoffed in an aside to Paul, "Wow, they must be really bad searchers, then. Because I am certain I see three unwanted vampires right there." She pointed to the three guards._ _ _ _

____"Leah," Seth sighed, "would you at least try to be nice. Come and meet, Jane, please. For me?"_ _ _ _

____Leah looked at her little brother and exhaled. She knew this imprint was not his idea. It seemed to her that all imprinting did was cause trouble. She didn't see any good reason for it. Both Sam and Billy's theories seemed like a load of bullshit to her. But she loved Seth, and so she walked over to his small leech imprint._ _ _ _

____Seth smiled. "Jane, this is my sister, Leah. Leah, this is Jane, Felix, and Demetri." He indicated who was who with a wave of his hand._ _ _ _

____Leah mumbled hi to Jane, and glanced up to meet the claret gazes of the two taller vampires. Suddenly her eyes grew wide, and flew from one male to the next._ _ _ _

____"You've got to be fucking kidding me! There is no fucking way! This has to be some fucked up joke the spirits are playing on me. What the fuck?! Fucking Italian bloodsuckers!"_ _ _ _

____Felix and Demetri were staring at the she-wolf in awe. At the end of her tirade, Demetri chuckled. Taking Leah's hand, he pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Actually, my lupa coraggiosa, I am Greek."_ _ _ _

____With a horrified look, she ripped her hand from his, and ran out of the clearing._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____When Bella awoke again, night had fallen and she felt much better. Her head was clear, although her body still ached. She felt completely relaxed, until she remembered the accident. Only a quick vampire hand to her chest stopped her from bolting straight up._ _ _ _

____"Seth! What happened to Seth! Oh my God!"_ _ _ _

____"Seth is safe, innamorata. He is with your father and Jake in La Push."_ _ _ _

____"My father?" she looked at Aro. "What's he doing in La Push? And how come he left me here with you alone? He wouldn't leave me with people he doesn't know."_ _ _ _

____"We have spoken with Jake and your father, amata," Marcus assured her. "Your father has been told all. There has been an unusual development, and Jake has taken Seth and your father to La Push to consult the Council."_ _ _ _

____"What development?" Bella wondered what had happened that Jake would want her father along._ _ _ _

____"We will allow Jake to explain when he returns," Aro heard approaching footsteps, and low voices in the hall. "Your doctor is here now."_ _ _ _

____The doctor looked Bella over, and declared that she was better than she ought to be, so soon after such an accident. He cast a curious look at the three strange men who had refused to leave the room during her examination. He was certain that he had heard growls as he gently prodded her bumps and bruises. He left off the bandages from her head, and ordered the removal of all the tubes and wires, except the IV._ _ _ _

____"Oh, good. That means I can shower, right? Can a nurse come and help me?"_ _ _ _

____"From your medical records, it looks as though I don't have to tell you to keep that cast dry, young lady. Ask the nurses when they come in and they will give you a hand." He smiled at her, nodded hesitantly to the men, and left the room._ _ _ _

____"We will help you shower, cara," Aro said. "Anything you need."_ _ _ _

____Bella blushed, and softly replied, "Thank-you, Aro. But I really don't want the first time you see me that way to be in a hospital looking like one giant bruise."_ _ _ _

____"You are beautiful, Bella. And we are your mates. We will care for you at all times."_ _ _ _

____"Leave her be, Aro!" Caius snarled._ _ _ _

____"You are an innocent, piccola amata," Marcus marvelled, observing her blush. "Your body has not known the touch of a man."_ _ _ _

____Bella flushed scarlet and nodded. She was profoundly thankful when the nurse chose that moment to bustle in. She unhooked Bella from all the machines, removing everything but the IV, as ordered. When Bella asked for a shower, the nurse opened a cupboard and removed the items needed to cover her cast. Caius stopped her when a wheelchair was produced, and lifted Bella gently into his arms. Ignoring the protestations of the nurse, he carried his mate into the bathroom and seated her upon a low bench in the open shower._ _ _ _

____"We will be right outside." He brushed her hair back and placed a light kiss on her forehead. Then he retreated to wait with his brothers._ _ _ _

____When Bella emerged a short time later, she felt much better. Her hair was clean and she didn't smell asphalt and various vehicle fluids every time she breathed in. She squeaked when Caius once again swept her into his arms. Rather than put her back into bed, he sat in it himself, with his back against the wall, and held her on his lap, urging her head down onto his chest. Bella thanked the nurse, who glared at the three once more before leaving. She felt Marcus and Aro come to sit on either side of her, and felt hands in her hair, fingers working the tangles out softly._ _ _ _

____"There is no need to be shy with us," Marcus stated affectionately. "We are elated that we will be the first and only to show you the delights of our bodies merging together. We will show you such pleasure as you cannot imagine, and gain an equal amount by sharing the experience. We will treasure you always."_ _ _ _

____Aro leaned in to her, pushing his face into her masses of dark hair, and skimming his nose from her ear underneath to her jaw. He inhaled deeply and sighed. "Sweet spring violets and frankincense. She smells like our home, brothers. Like the temples in ancient Greece."_ _ _ _

____"A gift from the Gods," Caius murmured. He drew her up further on his body, then lifted her chin and lowered his mouth to hers. The kiss was sweet, full of the promise of passion. Bella whimpered softly, and when her lips softened, Caius ran his tongue teasingly along the seam._ _ _ _

____Bella inhaled sharply, as a thrill of arousal travelled down her body and settled between her legs. Unconsciously, she moved against Caius, and he groaned, licking her lips once more._ _ _ _

____Wide-eyed, Bella pulled back. She stared at Caius, then Aro and Marcus, before stuttering, "That was. . . umm. . . that. . ..I've never been kissed like that before," she finally managed._ _ _ _

____"And a hospital bed isn't really the best place to start all that," her father's voice came from the doorway. Bella looked up to see Charlie, Jake, Seth and Jane all standing in the doorway. Charlie looked as though he were struggling to keep a straight face; Jake and Seth were snickering outright. Jane smiled, seeing her Masters happy._ _ _ _

____"You are right, Chief Swan, but who could resist such beauty?" Aro was unembarrassed. He had heard them approaching. "We will wait until she is fully recovered to steal more than sweet kisses."_ _ _ _

____Bella's mouth dropped open, a scandalized, "Aro!" falling from her lips. At his questioning glance, she reminded him, "That's my father!"_ _ _ _

____"Who should be pleased to know we intend to treat you well," Aro responded. "Is that not correct, Chief Swan?"_ _ _ _

____"Yeah, Charlie, aren't you happy to know they're going to wait until she's better before they," Jake coughed, " 'steal more than sweet kisses'?"_ _ _ _

____Charlie shifted on his feet, moustache twitching, and looked at the floor. Finally he decided it was best to just avoid the subject. "Hey Bella, we stopped by the house and got you some things. Bathroom stuff, mainly. Figured you would want to brush your hair and teeth, at least."_ _ _ _

____"I would, Dad, thanks. Where did you guys go? And why do I feel like I'm missing something?"_ _ _ _

____"Tribal hoopla, Bells. The spirits decided that Seth and Jane here, were just made for each other," Seth put his arms around the small vampires shoulders, and she elbowed him in the ribs. Jake laughed and continued, "so I crowned myself King Jake. Had to go defend my title and my packmate's new vamp imprint. I also had to let the Elders know that I told your dad everything."_ _ _ _

____"I'm still contemplating pushing Billy overboard next time we go fishing," Charlie grumbled._ _ _ _

____"Where are Felix and Demetri, Jane? I thought Seth would like to stay in La Push. Why are you here and they are not?"_ _ _ _

____Seth and Jake burst into laughter, and Jane's mouthed quirked up. "It seems, Master Aro, that the Clearwater family has quite an affinity for us bloodsuckers. Leah has imprinted."_ _ _ _

____Marcus's interest was piqued. "On whom? Felix? Or Demetri? And is there any indication of a bond from the vampire side?"_ _ _ _

____"On _both _, Master," Jane's smile was wide and amused, "And if the shell-shocked expressions on their faces were anything to go by, I think that she is their mate."___ _ _ _

______"And the she-wolf? Is she as entranced by them as young Seth is by you?"_ _ _ _ _ _

______This time Jane actually giggled, "She took it worse than I did, Master! I don't think I've heard someone curse in quite that manner before. And then she ran off. Felix and Demetri had to chase her." Jane walked up to Aro and gave him her hand._ _ _ _ _ _

______"At least I hadn't yet lifted the order not to phase. She didn't get very far," Jake grinned, "last I saw, Felix had carted her over one shoulder and they were heading somewhere private, with her screeching and beating at his back. Really, it's a good thing no one else could phase. I had just calmed everybody down and that got them all stirred up again. Old Quil, the tribe's shaman, wants to seek the spirits in the morning. He wants the whole pack to go. We were hoping we could borrow a couple of your guards to watch the reservation again. Demetri says Victoria hasn't left Seattle, but that's still a little too close for my comfort. She's a psychotic bitch."_ _ _ _ _ _

______Aro chuckled as he watched the events playing out in Jane's mind, "Have we ever witnessed a mating between more than two in our world, Marcus, aside from the anticipation of ours?" When Marcus indicated that they had not, Aro continued in wonder, "And yet here we have two bonds with multiple participants completed in just a few days. And two bonds with shifters. I would be pleased if you would share with me what you learn from your spirits, Jake. You may keep Demetri and Felix with you tomorrow. I do not think they will want to be far from their mate anyway."_ _ _ _ _ _

______"I'll see what happens, Aro. If the spirits answer us, I'm sure it will be an interesting morning."_ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yep, Leah did. I've been hearing her reaction in my mind for a few days, and so I knew that it just had to happen. Plus, I think it helped me figure out what's going on in this crazy story.


	12. Interlude II - Vampires and Shifters and Mates - Oh My!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Someone said they wanted to know what had happened between Leah and her mates. I wasn't in the mood to write another chapter of the main storyline tonight, but was totally OK with another interlude. So here is what happened after Felix hauled her off kicking and screaming. Seeing as how this is my first story, this would also be my first lemon. I have to say, it's easier to read them than write them. I'll have to do more research. I wonder if my husband will mind. ;)

Interlude II - Vampires and Shifters and Mates - Oh My!

"Put me down, you bloodsucking bastard! Ooph! What the hell is wrong with you?" Leah beat her fists against the large vampire's back, and kicked wildly, trying to get him to put her down. Hell, she'd even be okay with him dropping her on her ass, as long the end result was being free of him. Felix, she was sure his name was. Everything her brother had said when he introduced the two males to her was blurred in the blank shock of the imprint.

A low rumbling came from Felix's chest. She felt it through her body, but it was most noticeable where he held her tight against his shoulder. Of course, that meant her crotch and lower abdomen were now being stimulated by an oversized vibrator.

Leah screeched, outraged. "Stop that fucking rumbling, you dickhead, and put me down! Now!" She heard a chuckle from one side of her, and glared at Demetri. "Tell this thick-headed behemoth to put me down. What the fuck are you grinning at?"

"I have existed for a thousand years, and today I have finally found my mate. She is no docile female, but a fierce she-wolf warrior, beautiful and strong. There is every reason for me to be happy."

Leah tried to ignore the beat her heart missed, or the flash of pleasure she felt at his words. Instead, she renewed her efforts to be released. The purring hadn't stopped, and she was ashamed to admit she wanted to rub her pelvis harder into the tremors. She squawked in surprise when she found herself on her back, suddenly cradled in Felix's two strong arms, as he continued to run.

Without stopping he stared down at her for a moment. Then he ducked his head and gave her a quick kiss. "I felt your body's joy at Demetri's words, my mate, and smelled your excitement at the purr you inspire in me. We will stop soon, but I do not think I will put you down."

Leah's mouth had dropped open at his action, and she flushed beneath her copper skin. Before she could say anything, though, Felix stopped and sat on a large boulder, moving so she sat in front of him, facing forward, with his arms preventing her from leaving. Demetri kneeled at her feet and took her face in his hands, gazing at her with passionate intensity before crushing his lips to hers. His tongue skimmed her closed lips, and he pulled back with a chuckle at her obstinance.

"Very well, mate, we will talk. Felix, let her go." He moved off to one side.

The large vampire opened his arms at once, allowing her to leave if that was her wish, but making no effort to move away from her. Leah started to move, before realizing that her wolf was really, really content right now. And as hard as she tried to summon the caustic, bitter bitch she had become so used to lately, she realized that beneath the shame and anger, she felt more like the girl she used to be than she had since before Sam had left her.

She took a look at the place they had stopped. The creek and small waterfall had frozen in the cold of December, and the sculpture of ice was breathtaking. She had always loved winter; most people thought it was bleak, but to Leah there was beauty in the stark branches of the deciduous trees and bushes. Evergreen needles were still glossy underneath the thin dusting of frost and snow, and the smell in the air was clean and crisp.

After a moment, she began, with her back still turned. "Why?" Leah's distress was evident in her voice, and the carriage of her body. "Why do I have to be different? Why can't I just be normal? First I'm not good enough for Sam, but Emily is. Then I have to be the only female on record to become a shifter. Makes sense that I can't be with Sam now, doesn't it? Shifting took my ability to have kids. I can't carry on the wolf-gene, so why should I be blessed with the man I thought I loved? And if that isn't enough, the spirits have chosen me to imprint on leeches. The reason we became what we are. The reason I am this," she gestured to herself, "sterile, bitter bitch. And I don't just get one imprint. Oh no, not me - I get two! Whoop-de-fucking-do! Am I cursed to be constantly chosen for every damned thing that is out of the ordinary? Was I born just to be a freak?" She looked at her imprints for answers and stopped, aghast, at what she saw.

Felix had stood from his perch, to his full, intimidating height. His eyes were black and he was obviously angry and tense. "We are sorry, _mate _, that we disgust you so much. I certainly would not have chosen for myself someone who would hate me for what I am, without knowing who I am. I admire the fire within you, but I do not want to cause you misery. If this union is so abhorrent to you, I will return to Italy and try to exist without my soul." He turned to leave.__

__"Wait!" Leah choked. She turned to see if Demetri was also leaving, and saw him looking at her with understanding and sadness. "Wait, Felix, please. Just wait." She couldn't find the words to tell him how awful it felt to see him so hurt. She couldn't swallow over the lump in her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she stumbled over to him, reaching as high as she could to hug him to her. She felt his arms pick her up as he sat with her in his lap. She crawled as close to him as she could, sobbing her apology._ _

__Demetri laid a cool hand on the nape of her neck. "It's alright, Leah. You have kept yourself angry to protect yourself from the anguish you have felt for so long. You are a unique individual, and that is not an easy thing to be sometimes. But you have been made specifically for us. You were born to be with us. It does not mean you are out-of-the-ordinary, or a freak. It means you a strong, passionate woman, with the fortitude to handle us both. We are not normal men, Leah. We would not have an ordinary mate. You are extraordinary."_ _

__"And stunning," Felix added, tilting her face up with a finger beneath her chin. He looked deeply into her eyes, "and gorgeous," he kissed her lips. "And strong," he kissed her again, and tightened his hold, "and so fucking sexy." His mouth descended once more, and he brushed the corner of her mouth, dragging his lips across her jaw. He nipped at her earlobe, and whispered heatedly, "Do not make me feel that way again, Leah. I could not handle it. My soul is in your care; do not crush it."_ _

__She pulled her head away from him, gripping his biceps. Her hand did not reach even halfway around his massive arm. Holding his gaze, she softly assured him, "I will take care, Felix. I am sorry. I felt how hurt you were when I saw your face. I can't pretend to like the circumstances of this imprint, but I'll get to know you."_ _

__She looked at Demetri over her shoulder, eyes watering again. "I'm sorry Demetri. I promise I'll try not to be such a bitch."_ _

__He caught her mouth in a brief, torrid kiss, before he looked at her, "You can be any way you want to be, Leah, as long as you are ours."_ _

__"We like your fierce spirit, my warrior-wolf," Felix added, "Just don't deny that we are your mates. Do not attempt to send us away now, for we will not go._ _

__Leah nodded, and fell silent, wrapped around Felix. Demetri sat beside them and stroked her back rhythmically. She felt the breaths passing in and out of her lungs smoothly, and revelled in a feeling of peace and security. Several minutes later, she once again felt vibrations coming from Felix's chest. She looked up at him curiously, and then at Demetri when she heard a similar noise from him._ _

__"Did you say you guys purr, Felix?"_ _

__"Hmm," he agreed, "and our mate seems to enjoy it." He inhaled deeply. "I think there are other things we can do that our mate will enjoy, while we have this time to ourselves."_ _

__Before Leah could fully register the meaning of his words, she felt Demetri trailing wet open mouth kisses along the column of her neck. She moaned, and arched back, knowing her mates would keep her steady. Felix held her under her arms alongside her breasts, and skimmed his thumbs over her nipples, causing them to pucker in response._ _

__"So sexy, Leah. My mate. Our mate. Look at you, moaning and shivering at our touch. You are a goddess." Felix teased her peaks once more, and his eyes blackened at her response._ _

__Demetri pulled away and swept off his cloak. He motioned for Felix to remove his, and then laid them both on the ground where the moss grew thick and spongy. The large vampire stood and placed Leah on her feet, steadying her when she swayed. He ran his hands down the sides of her body, gathering the fabric of her dress, and drawing up and over her head. He tossed it away, and stepped back._ _

__Leah felt at once awkward and incredibly alluring, standing naked in front of the two vampires. Their black-eyed gazes raked her body, lingering on her breasts with their tightened peaks, and the neatly trimmed mound at the apex of her thighs. Without knowing how she got there, she found herself laying on the cloaks, with Demetri hovering above her._ _

__She welcomed the touch of his tongue at her lips this time, sighing, and parting them softly. He groaned, and ran his tongue along her the inside of her top lip, before retreating once more. His hand came up to caress the side of one breast, and his mouth lowered to the other. She whimpered as he rolled her nipple between his lips, and pushed her breasts up, begging without words for him to touch her more._ _

__Demetri moved off her without releasing her nipple, and she was momentarily confused before she felt a second set of cold lips at her other breast. Felix was rougher, pulling her nipple up between his lips and swirling his tongue around it. Leah gasped, arching up._ _

__A hand dipped down to her mons and stroked her lightly, circling her clit with frustrating softness. She opened her legs and pushed up into the hand, trying to find more friction. Demetri chuckled where he still toyed with her breast, and she snarled at him._ _

__"Damn it, Demetri! Quit teasing me. Touch me, already! I want your fingers on my clit, in me, all around me. I want you both. Fuck!" she finished, as she felt what she had been demanding. Demetri pushed two fingers into her wetness, gliding them in and out rapidly. In another lightning-fast move, she felt his mouth on her pussy, sucking, nibbling, tasting her._ _

__"Oh Gods, I have never felt anything so soft and warm." His tongue vibrated over her clit, and Felix replaced his mouth at her breast with his hands, pulling and plucking her nipples, kneading her breasts. She felt his mouth at the crease of her shoulder and neck, kissing it quickly, before he sucked hard._ _

__"Aah!" Leah cried out. She was a mass of sensation. "Oh fuck, yeah, that's right. Oh Spirits, I want to come." She grabbed the large vampire's hair and pulled him to her mouth. She didn't think about anything but the climax fast approaching, as she pulled his tongue in to dance with hers. She sucked on his bottom lip and then bit, scratching her nails down his arm. He growled lowly and rolled her nipples again, just as Demetri growled into her core, and curled his fingers inside her._ _

__Leah came with a wail, arching her back up off the ground, throwing her head back and shaking, as her inner muscles clenched and fluttered around Demetri's fingers, soaking them in her juices. He curled his fingers, again and again, driving her higher, until she felt light-headed and saw spots in her vision._ _

__When she finally came down, her mates were laying on either side of her, purring once more, and stroking her sides gently._ _

__"Didn't you guys want anything?" she asked._ _

__They both shook their heads. "What we want from you would take longer than the time we have here, Leah." Demetri said with a wicked grin._ _

__"Watching you come apart like that was the most beautiful thing I've seen in all my years," Felix added, as Demetri agreed. "It will certainly be difficult to keep my hands off of you, but the first time I have you completely - the first time we both have you - will not be on the forest floor."_ _

__With that, they wrapped her in their cloaks, and held her as she slipped into a sated, peaceful sleep._ _


	13. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I was cooking dinner last night and finally figured out who the antagonist is! I felt like squealing with joy. But it made this chapter really hard to write, because this has become more than just a 'Bella's mates find her and she ends up happy and well-pleasured, and they all attack the Cullens' kind of story. Some of you will note I changed the summary and the genres.This chapter is all wolves. You'll see why. This should also be the chapter where the pack involvement in the story begins to wane. Seth and Leah will continue on, of course, and we will likely see Jake again, but the majority of the pack has little left to do.
> 
> I am not First Nations (Native). Not even a drop. But I did live in a very isolated, very small First Nations village the year I turned 16. I have participated in a sweat lodge (women only - tops optional). It is an amazing experience, one I wish I could repeat, and one I will never forget. I have sprayed water on rocks, and felt the steam almost overwhelm. It was winter, and so I have also felt the large temperature change, and dunked my head in a barrel of nearly-freezing water.
> 
> The sweat lodge is a tradition in many cultures, and is important to many Native peoples. I did not find anything online that indicated the Quileute were one of them. But I still used it. I hope I represented it here with a sufficient amount of accuracy. To go into too much detail would detract from the story, but to gloss over it would be, I feel, disrespectful. I have never been on a spirit-walk, and would not presume to use any of the highly personal accounts that can be found online as fodder for fanfic.
> 
> Now that I've got all that off my chest, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 11

None of the pack had ever participated in a sweat lodge before. With eight shifters, Elder Uley and Old Quil, the interior of the small cedar and animal-hide structure was crowded, but the atmosphere was solemn. Old Quil had instructed everyone to fast the night before, to the young people's dismay. But the shaman was adamant that at least some cleansing and preparing needed to be done. Everyone was wearing comfortably loose clothing, and waiting in contemplative silence for the ceremony to begin.

Old Quil called out his readiness, and the eastern-facing tent flap opened, admitting the first brilliant rays of the rising sun. Harry entered with a large, red-hot, cedar-swept stone held firmly between two forked sticks. He placed it as directed, returning with another and another until the shallow pit, around which they all sat, held five stones. He silently left the lodge, dropping the flap down once more. The stones cast an faint orange glow over the people inside.

The shaman dipped a cedar bough into a bucket left by the door, and sprinkled the water onto the hot stones. Steam began to rise up as the stones hissed and spat. He repeated the process several more times, until even the dim visibility inside was obscured by vapour.

"We are here in this place, which represents the womb of the Earth Mother, to purify our hearts, our bodies, our minds and our souls. Our minds have been clouded with fear and hate. The Elders have not carried on the sacred duties entrusted to us by our forebears. We have lost our way, and stumbled in the wilderness. Our young have not been taught to see beyond the physical aspect of a being. Their eyes have weakened and must be made strong once more. Our spirits must be cleansed of enmity, fear and ignorance. We ask the Great Spirit for wisdom and guidance."

With that, Old Quil started a chant, a traditional Quileute prayer, thanking the spirits and ancestors for all they had, and asking for healing and peace. A pause hung in the air when he was done, and then he said, much more informally, "If any of you cannot withstand the heat in here, you are free to leave when you will. Remember to speak your intention, and to move clockwise toward the entrance as you go. However, I urge you to make every effort to remain until our task is complete. The goal of the sweat lodge today is to speak our concerns to the listening spirits, and prepare ourselves to receive their guidance. The spirit-walk will take place after we have left this place."

He dipped the cedar bough in the water and passed it to along to his left. One by one, the shifters sprinkled the fire, gathered their thoughts and spoke them out. There was no judgement in this place, and no one lashed out with angry words or insults. The words were halting, hard to come by, and disordered, but as the bough was rewet again and again, passed to every person in the tent, the burden these young ones had been carrying alone felt lighter.

Lucas Uley was the last to speak, "Yesterday when you needed guidance and support, I allowed anger to overtake my thoughts. You came to the Council, Jacob, to discuss something unknown to you. You sought the advice of the tribal Elders, and I failed you. I feel I ashamed that I, who should stand as an example to the young of the tribe, disrespected a bond held sacred to us. When we are through, Seth, I would like to meet your Jane.

"I am proud of each of you for speaking out here today. The spirits have heard your confusion, your doubt, and your concern. Sam Uley, you hold shame and regret inside you. You speak of knowing in your heart of hearts that it was wrong to challenge Jacob, and yet, what other example did you have, but an angry, foolish old man? Where was your mentor, when you were alone and afraid? Who counselled you when you became a wolf and knew not what was happening? Who could you turn to, when an unknown force pulled you away from one you loved and directed you with a single-minded intensity toward another? The shame belongs to those who should not have left the burden of protecting the entire tribe to one man. One young man, not yet out of his teen years. A wolf never meant to be Alpha, thrust into the role by necessity, and ill-prepared. The regret belongs to the Elders. I hope you find your peace today, Sam."

With that, the tent was silent once more. The heat from the rocks had almost left, and the steam was beginning to dissipate. Everyone was covered in sweat, but feeling clean and light within themselves. They still didn't have the answers they needed, but just talking in such a safe, healing place had worked wonders.

Old Quil started to chant once more, a thanks to the spirits for listening, and a plea for their attendance when they were summoned once more today. Then he called out for the flap to be opened. Cold air rushed into the tent, as did the light of full day. One by one they exited, crawling clockwise out of the tent. Once outside, Elders moved to a large barrel and splashed handfuls of the cold water over their sweat-stained bodies.

Laughing, the wolves followed their example, realizing how refreshing it was, after being so hot for so long. The temperature change was drastic, but each breath felt clean and invigorating.

Harry and Billy were standing outside, in front of the sacred fire. There was a pile that held towels for each of them, as well as clean, dry clothes. Leah ducked behind a bush to change, but the rest disregarded modesty, throwing off their soiled shorts and changing quickly.

When everyone was dressed once more, Harry directed them to sit around the fire. Old Quil lit a bundle of sage and when it was smoldering and smoking, directed the smoke three times toward his face and over his head with his hand. This was repeated around the circle, and then they were each handed a cup of tea. They drank in silence, staring at the flames of the fire.

Jake blinked as he suddenly found himself at the top of an unfamiliar hill. The fir trees here grew tall, but he stood in the middle of a cleared area. Through the trees to the east he could see the Quillayute River as it wandered beside La Push, and to the west he spotted the ocean stretching beyond the horizon. He saw the rest of the pack and the two Elders materialize around him.

"This is A-Ka-Lat, which has ever been a place of rest and refuge for our people." Jake spun around trying to locate the voice. "Once, our people grew crops here, watched for whales here, and defended themselves here. Our great chiefs rest here; it is a place of great spirit energy. This is where you will find the answers you seek." A man walked out of the trees, the spirit of a great wolf walking with him. He radiated power, and knowledge lost to the ages shone in his eyes.

"Taha Aki," Old Quil acknowledged, bending his head slightly. "Your presence honours us. Your people need counsel that the Elders cannot provide."

"The Great Spirit heard your pleas, Children of the Wolf. I have been sent to help you find your purpose once more."

"It isn't about vampires, is it?" Leah asked, "If we were meant to kill them, we would never have been able to imprint on them."

"You have begun to open your heart to your mates, Daughter. In doing so you are starting to realize that what lies within determines the true worth of a being. Understanding that you are ignorant is the first step in seeking wisdom. You all have taken that step."

"Why is the legend of you and the Cold Ones passed down to the Protectors, then, if not to warn against vampires? Has it been told wrong?"

"Paul LaHote, the legend tells the events of that day truly. What has been wrong is not the story, but the essence of the tale. The Cold Man had been taking the daughters of the Makah for many years, and it nearly started a war between our tribes. My three oldest sons never returned the first time we looked for the culprit, and it took another two years for Yaha Uta and his remaining brothers to find the Cold Man. As Yaha Uta's life-force was leaving his body, I saw in his mind the evil of the Cold Man. He took only the females from the Makah, and they were cruelly abused as he drained them of blood. He did not hunt to eat; he hunted for his own amusement. His soul was evil.

"The Cold Woman was like a rabid dog at the loss of her mate. Her true evil was not the vengeance she sought, but the joy evident in her countenance as she tore apart men, women and children. It was in the delight she took as the village streets grew dark and muddy with the spilled blood of her victims. The true enemy that day was not the vampire nature; it was the evil within.

"I had been a wolf for two hundred years before the Cold Ones came, and a spirit-warrior before that. Did I not have a purpose in my life before the vampires? Recall that I had put away my wolf for many years before that day. Was my life meaningless until then?"

"You had purpose, Great Wolf," Jacob's voice was sure and strong. He was relieved to have his thoughts substantiated. You have always been a spirit-warrior to defend our people. But you became a wolf when one of your own turned against you. When the evil in Utlapa's soul manifested in greed and lust for power, you saw it. Your body was vulnerable to him as a man, but as wolves we are much stronger."

"You are stronger, young Alpha, this is true, but there is always room for evil to taint the mind of those who do not listen to sage advice. To corrupt the heart of those who hear a truth and willingly stop their ears. Now, what questions do you have for me?"

"What is going on with the vampire imprints? Why have two wolves imprinted on vampires? And from the same coven?"

"More is happening here, Seth, than you could know. More than I know. An ancient evil stirs in this world, and the time for blind hate has long passed. The imprints were a catalyst for the change that has started to happen in the heart of your tribe. Be thankful your Alpha heard the wisdom of his ancestors'. Be thankful his wolf-spirit listened to the whisperings of his past lives."

"What do you mean, Taha Aki?" Embry was curious. There were times he felt his wolf drawing on experience he had not gained in this life.

"The wolf-spirits carried within you are the same as those carried within your forefathers. The wolves are not always called, and not every spirit is called each time - with the exception of the Alpha. The wolf inside you, Jacob Black, is the same one you see here at my side. It takes time for the spirit-wolf to reach its past incarnations, and sometimes the man is too prideful or fearful to heed his wolf." Taha Aki's eyes skimmed over to Sam and back, "If you, Jacob, had not been the man you are, the tribe would have been decimated. Your wolf recognized the spirit of Utlapa influencing the thoughts of your pack, and was quick to act. Had the pack stayed the course, many lives would have been lost. The Quileute would have made powerful enemies at a time when it was necessary to make powerful friends. It could have spelled the doom of the world."

Jake squirmed a little under the praise. He was still agog that he carried the same wolf-spirit as Taha Aki. It was at once awe-inspiring and very, very humbling. "I'm not sure I would have been the man I was if it weren't for Bella. Why does she have those vampires as mates? Why did we need to ally with them?"

"The bond the three carry with Bella was ordained long ago; it is a thing as ancient as this approaching evil. The person she is has allowed you to become the person you are, Jacob. Fate has had a hand in laying this destiny before all of you. These vampires are the ones who will battle a force beyond your understanding. Had you made enemies with them, they would not have been able to focus as they should. Peace must be maintained."

"So this is like a political marriage, then," Leah scowled, "I'm the princess married off to the prince of another country to avert crisis. That's what my imprint is?"

"No, daughter, and yes. It was destined that your mating, along with Seth's, would precipitate a change, but Fate made you for those two vampires, and made them perfect for you. Unlike the typical imprint, neither yours nor Seth's is just about what they need. It is not about procreating or strength of the wolf. This union is about what you need as well. They are your reward, and you will find great joy."

"So that is what imprinting is for, then," Sam asked. "To carry on the wolf-gene."

"Is that not what all animal mating is? The strongest are chosen. Those who have the best chance of producing and raising healthy offspring. That is the wolf part. And yet, you are also men. The imprint brings to you a mate whose temperament soothes and compliments your own. You and Leah could have been very happy together, if you were fully human, but the wolf can be volatile and aggressive. You would not do well together now. Your imprint allows you to be a wolf, with its quick temper and passion, as well as a kind, even tempered man, a gentle father and a rational person.

"Leah and my imprint can't be about the next generation. Jane might be my imprint, but I don't think she's my mate. She doesn't act like Felix and Demetri do with Leah. And what about the wolves that don't imprint?"

"You are young, Seth, and do not need a mate yet. Remember that your Jane is what you need also. When the time comes that you and your wolf are ready to mate, Jane will accept you as her own. And while your imprints were specifically designed for the current situation, they also have a secondary purpose. Your mates are eternal; they will not tire of this world. So shall you be. Future shifters will not have to wander lost, unsure of themselves, the way this pack has. Your wolf-spirits will sense them and you will have the responsibility of guiding them in their purpose.

"And every one of you will imprint, in the right time. I will not tell you when or on whom, except to say this to you, Jacob Black: You have impressed the Great Spirit, and have been chosen to remain immortal on the mortal plane. You will know when the time is right to seek your own eternal mate."

"What of this ancient evil, Great Wolf?" Lucas Uley had said nothing thus far, allowing the pack to obtain the answers they sought. He was struck with how little he had known before, and allowed himself to again regret his previous actions.

"It is a thing of prophecy, from the time of the three ancient vampires. I do not have the information. Tell them to seek out the stories and teachings from their human time. Tell them to seek out the myths of their origins. Tell them, Jacob, that Bella was predestined for them, and to study the bond. It and their mate both carry great meaning, in everything they are. And tell them to prepare, with every resource available. Beware, the danger will come from an enemy unknown to them as such."

"Remember the lesson you have learned today. Remember that you are not designed for a specific enemy. Remember to guard against evil, and to shield your hearts and souls from hate and anger. Remember to pass on the wisdom of your ancestors, and not just the stories. Go now, Protectors, in peace."  
********************

Jake sat up and put a hand to his head. He had been slumped on the ground around the dying embers of the sacred fire. Around him he could see Old Quil, Lucas Uley, and the pack stirring. He looked at the sky and noticed that it was early afternoon. His stomach felt as though it were gnawing through his backbone.

A hand at his shoulder startled him. Charlie handed him some water, and Jake noticed that Harry, Billy, Sue, Kim and Emily had set up several folding tables with food and drink. As one, the pack lifted their noses to smell, and before another word was spoken, they were jostling each other for a place in line.

"Did it go well?" Billy asked, when they were seated, eating ravenously. "Did the spirits answer the call? Have you got the answers you were looking for?"

Jake grunted, nodding, "Yeah, Dad. I'm sure Old Quil will fill you in later. Charlie, have you heard from Bella or the Kings?"

"Bella's doctor removed the IV this morning. He should be discharging her in a couple of hours. They were going to take her to my house."

"Could you get them to come here instead? We need to talk," Jake swept the last of the food into his mouth and stood for more. He saw Billy frown, and Lucas Uley draw him aside, whispering in his ear. Jake continued to pile food on his plate, and spoke again, "Leah, when you are done eating, go find your mates. I'm sure you miss each other. Paul, Embry, you two will take patrol. I'll send someone to spell you later."

Then Jake sat, and directed every bit of his attention to his food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: For this chapter I used information from the Twilight Saga Wiki, Google Maps, quileutenation dot org, forks-web dot com, and barefootsworld dot net. Please review, review, review! And forgive me my mistakes. They are mine. No prereader, proofreader, or Beta, and I have never in my life done a rough draft of anything. I am not wired to write in anything less than complete sentences. I fix as I go, and then reread it once to make sure I haven't effed it up. It's annoying sometimes, but that's me.


	14. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Bella opened the bathroom door, and hobbled carefully into the hospital room. She hated crutches, always feeling as though she was going to slip and break another leg. If she had asked, she knew any one of her three mates would have scooped her up in an instant. In fact, Aro scowled at the crutches as though they had personally offended him, and hovered so closely she nearly trod on his toes.

"Tell me again, dearest. Why must we allow you to walk unassisted?"

Bella grinned and rolled her eyes. "Because, Aro, I need to be able to do a few things on my own. I've never relied on anyone and it will take some getting used to. I know you would happily carry me around for the rest of all time, but I like a little independence. A little privacy for my human moments and, for now, for getting showered and dressed."

"I am willing to watch you use those wretched things, as long as you remember to look to us for love and protection, even at the slightest unease, my darling. But," Caius frowned, "the instant you look fatigued or uncomfortable, we will place you in our arms, where you belong."

Bella leaned up and pecked his cheek. "Let's get out of here. Will you carry my bag and the crutches?" She sighed as she saw the orderly bring a wheelchair into the room. "I have to sit in that thing until I'm out of the hospital. You can carry me to the car, if you want, Aro."

Aro smiled, and as soon as they passed the sliding doors, he lifted her cradled in his arms, striding with ease toward the limousine. Alec opened the door for them, nodding to Bella when Aro introduced them. Marcus entered the vehicle first, and then turned to receive Bella. Aro carefully transferred her to his brother, who settled her on his lap, with her head against his shoulder and her casted leg across the seat. He stroked her hair and face, looking down at her with ruby eyes full of tenderness and wonder.

"Why do you look at me like that?" Bella asked, after Aro and Caius got in the limo and directed Alec to go. "You all do. It makes me feel cherished and frightened all at the same time."

"You have always been, and will ever be, cherished by us, amata," Marcus said. "Why does it frighten you?"

Bella bit her lip, looking down and then back up at Marcus. "It's overwhelming. You don't even know me, yet you look at me with more love than I've ever been able to imagine, even in my favourite books. What if, when you get to know me, I don't live up to your expectations? What if I disappoint you? That's what scares me. That you'll decide I'm not good enough, after all."

Aro growled. "Curse that stupid Cullen boy! You listen well, my mate. I will say this now, and repeat it every minute of every day for the rest of eternity, until you believe. You are a part of our soul. Not just our soul's mate, but a piece of us. Together, the four of us are one. You were made for us, perfect to us in every way. We will never tire of you. We can never tire of you. The person you are will never be a disappointment to us. I saw you tell Jake about the Cullen boy; he was cruel and treated you as a plaything. A toy that he grew bored with. You are our soul, our mate, our reason to continue existing. As vital to our unlives as blood, and infinitely more precious. Do not doubt yourself, or our devotion to you."

Bella's smile was wobbly as she tried to absorb the feeling of joy Aro's words gave her. She reached for him, and was hauled gently into his lap, chest to his and legs to one side. She lowered her lips and brushed them softly against his. "Thank-you, Aro. I don't think you'll have to repeat yourself every minute, but I may need a reminder now and then."

Aro's eyes had darkened slightly at her affection, and when she finished speaking, he captured her in a kiss once more. His tongue lightly prodded her lips and as soon as she parted them he slipped into her mouth and smoothed her tongue with her own. Bella moaned at the new sensation and timidly touched her tongue to his, bringing her hands up to grasp his shoulders.

Aro revelled in his mate's taste as his tongue glided along the roof of her mouth and over her gums. Her moan shot straight to his groin and when he felt her hot tongue move to his and her arms embrace him, his manhood swelled with desire. He put his hands on either side of her face and lost himself in the sweetness of his mate.

Bella's mind was a haze of longing, and she moved restlessly against the firm body in front of her. Her breasts grazed Aro's chest, and she felt her nipples grow taut. A low growl in her ear had her shivering in response before another set of lips was upon her, nibbling at her neck and shoulders. She did not know which other of her mates was now skimming his hands down her back, pausing at her hips before daring to move to the junction of her thighs. She gasped into Aro's mouth as she felt a hand, cool even through her yoga pants, press against her core. Her body gyrated of its own volition, pushing up into that hand, as she felt a gush of wetness escape her.

"Watching my brothers touch you, my mate," she heard Caius groan, "is beauty and torture at the same time. Were we in Volterra and you not injured, you would find the three of us feasting upon the delights of your body."

His words caused her desire to spike and she rolled her hips again. She knew now that it as Marcus whose hand continued to cup her centre. She felt him stroke her lower lips until his fingers came to rest over her small bundle of nerves. He moved them in a small circle, and she let out a small cry at the thrill that shot through her body.

"Your body's response to us smells so good, beloved." Marcus whispered against her neck. "Feeling you dance upon my fingers drives me wild with lust. I am eager to have you well and in our bed."

"As are we all," Caius adjusted himself, hating to interrupt their passion, "but I am afraid, brothers, that we have arrived at our destination. You must stop, so that we may all regain our composure."

Aro released Bella's mouth with a sigh of regret. Their mate looked utterly ravishing. Her face was flushed and her beautiful brown eyes wide and glazed with desire. She mewled, panting softly, still moving against Marcus's hand, while her heart raced.

"Shh, Bella. Shh." Marcus gentled his movements before removing his hand and stroking his beloved's hair. "We will continue this, my darling. Soon, very soon, I hope." He reached into a small fridge and took out a bottle of water, opening it and holding it up to her. "Here now, drink this."

Bella's hands trembled as she reached for the bottle. Marcus held it steady as she tipped it up, feeling better when she had had a long drink. Her body throbbed, unfulfilled and frustrated.

"I thought we were going home," she grumbled. "Why are we," she looked out the window, "in La Push?"

"Your father called while you were getting dressed," Aro explained. "The Quileute's have finished their spirit-walk, and invited us to talk with them."

Bella was passed out of the vehicle into Caius's arms. He lifted a brow at her, daring her to say something about being carried, and she stuck her tongue out at him. His eyes fixed upon her mouth, and the hunger in them made her swallow hard. "Do not tempt me, mate, to carry you to the nearest bed and slake my thirst upon the nectar your body spills in arousal. The time will come when you will use that tongue for my own pleasure, as I will use mine for yours. But that time is not now." And with that he walked into the Council Hall and sat with Bella in his lap. She could feel his hardness beneath her bottom, and closed her eyes to envision what she wanted to do with her tongue. And what she wanted him to do with his.

"Geez, Bella, so not the time," the female voice was mocking and amused. "Unless you want every supernatural being in here to know that you've got your mind on getting some with your mates here, I suggest that you find your own chair and try to think unsexy things. Maybe think about Edward Cullen. From what I saw in Jake's mind, thinking about him is as good as a cold shower, or walking in on your parents while they are going at it."

Aro and Marcus, who had walked in behind Caius, began to growl at the mention of Edward, but by the time Leah had finished speaking, they were choking with laughter. Bella opened her eyes at their mirth, and slid smiling into the chair next to Caius.

You are Leah Clearwater!" Aro exclaimed. "You and your brother, along with Jake, saved our mate. We owe you a great debt. A debt that can never be repaid. And now we find you are mated to two of our highest guards. My dear, I am delighted, absolutely delighted, to meet you at last! I would like to shake your hand, if you would refrain from biting my arm off."

"Umm. . . what? I won't bite," Leah held out her hand, looking wary and a bit confused. "I suppose having one more guy know every detail in my head is no big deal."

Aro closed his eyes and absorbed Leah's thoughts. He was smiling when he opened them. "You will be so very good for Felix and Demetri. They need a strong female, and you are an exceptional woman. When you decide to give your loyalty, it takes a great deal to shake it. Your mates will be just as loyal, forever without end."

"Damn," Paul muttered to Sam, "when the spirits want to let you know you've been wrong, they sure do present a hell of a lot of evidence. Being a wolf was so much easier when the danger was clear."

"I think we've been misled about the danger," Sam answered. "None of these vampires have even looked sideways at any of the humans here. They certainly don't look like they're hungry."

"For anything but Bella," snorted Paul. He missed the glare Caius directed his way.

Sam smacked Paul lightly upside the head. "But," Sam went on, "Bella told Jake how much trouble most of the Cullens had around human blood. All of them but the doc. And they fed often."

"Animal blood does not satisfy the thirst," Aro and Marcus walked up to the two wolves. "It sustains a vampire, but barely. It does not contain the same balance of nutrients that human blood does. A vampire that exists solely on animal blood will always thirst, always crave. Add to that the Cullen family's youth, and it is no wonder that they 'slip'. It is inevitable. I am Aro, this is my brother Marcus, and sitting with Bella is our brother Caius." Caius looked up and nodded, then turned his attention back to where Bella was chatting with Leah.

"You and Marcus don't seem much older," Sam observed.

Marcus laughed, a rich sound that had Bella looking up with a happy smile. "Young in vampire years, my dear shifter. Carlisle is barely three-hundred and fifty, and he is the oldest. Felix is the youngest among the vampires with us, and he will pass his thousandth vampire-year very soon."

Jake heard that as he walked in with Charlie and the Elders. Seth and Jane had taken patrol, but the rest of the pack filed in behind them. They all gathered around Aro and Marcus to hear more. Bella hobbled up to stand with them, patting her dad's arm on the way by. Caius stood behind her, encouraging her to lean against him.

Paul goggled at the mention of Felix's age. So did Leah, looking over at her mates with awe. Ever tactful, she blurted out, "Just how old are you three?"

"We have been vampires for over three thousand years, young she-wolf," Aro answered. "Our age is such that we do not need to feed more than once every three to four months. More frequently if we expend a lot of energy."

Old Quil's voice was curious and respectful. "Would you explain in greater detail? The only experience this tribe has had with human-drinking vampires has been bloody and feral."

Aro acquiesced and began to elaborate. "A vampire's thirst is governed by a number of things, including age and physical activity. Newly-turned vampires are often mindless and savage; their instincts drive them to feed several times a week. This is only partly from thirst. A new vampire will have difficulty focussing on anything for any length of time. The world is a barrage on their heightened senses, and without proper guidance the only way they find relief is by feeding frequently, fighting, or engaging in sexual pleasure. Each of these is a basic activity on which it is easy to focus.

"Vampires who are very active will also feed more frequently than those who are not. You can compare that to a human athlete who needs more food than the average person, because they use so much more energy. A nomadic vampire will nearly always need more to drink.

"And then there are gifts. Passive gifts – those abilities that cannot be shut down, do not take a great deal of vitality. Gifts that can be controlled or manipulated, however, do drain a vampire's energy. It depends on a number of factors, including how strong the gift is, its scope, and how hard it is to control.

"From what I know, the lifestyle Carlisle and his coven lead is quite difficult for dealing with thirst. From the time he spent with us, I became convinced that Carlisle's success is due to a gift. He, of course, did not agree. He was very young, just a few decades into this existence, and still held many of the rigid beliefs that had been the mainstay of his human life.

"Their young age, active lives and constant use of gifts all work against them. Even if they were human-drinkers they would feed more often. But combine that with a diet lacking nutrition and they will always be thirsty."

Bella felt the vibrations in Caius's chest as he spoke, and closed her eyes, leaning more solidly against him. He held her securely, burying his face into her hair for a second and inhaling deeply before he continued where his brother had left off. "Aro and Carlisle had many conversations about his food choice when he stayed with us. Aro wanted to study vampire feeding habits to gain a better understanding of why some ate more than others. But Carlisle was young and prideful. He could not be swayed from the belief that he was on a higher moral plane than the rest of us. That it was all a matter of will, and we simply disdained human life too much to try to change. He was with us a very short while – just twenty years – but his thoughts and experiences had such an impact on Aro that he spent the next century researching vampire dietary needs. When science evolved to the point that we could determine blood's makeup, we finally understood the entirety of it. Aro even tried simulating some, but there is too much that cannot be duplicated in a lab, and too many outside influences in the process. It is worse than animal blood."

"So you kill people?" Bella whispered.

"Yes and no, my young mate," Caius felt her body relaxing and growing heavy against his, so he gathered her into his arms and laid her head on his chest. "I will explain our feeding habits to you another time. Right now, lay still in my arms and sleep. I will keep you from harm."

Jake watched Bella snuggle into the white-haired ancient's chest and close her eyes. He thanked the kings for the information, then turned to Aro and offered his hand. "I thought I'd show you the events of this morning. We were given a message to give to you."

Aro took Jake's hand and went silent. His expression was one of fascination as he replayed the conversation with Taha Aki. When the spirit warned them of the coming evil, his brow furrowed. Finally, he opened his eyes. "You have a vampire mate, it seems, Alpha. When you find her I shall be pleased to meet her. The warning we will indeed take to heart. We must talk with you, Charlie. It is time to gather Victoria and take Bella home with us."


	15. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank-you all for your kudos and comments. I appreciate them.

Chapter 13

Alice put a hand to her cracked cheek as she went sliding along the floor. “How did you not see this before, Alice! She is their mate – the one we have long been awaiting. You should have seen this the moment she was born! The moment her mother first laid eyes upon her father!”

Not daring to rise from her position, Alice stammered, “I. . . I am sorry, Mistress. I did not know. I did not see her birth, nor any of her life until we met her in Forks. And besides the one vision of the Volturi with her at the hospital, I have seen nothing about her since a few weeks after we left. I think something is blocking her from my sight, and has been protecting her throughout her life. I can't think of any other reason for me not to have seen that she was their mate.”

“ _She _is the reason they stayed the course all these years. The reason my beautiful creations have been turned into human-caring lapdogs! We are meant to consume those pitiful mortal creatures. They are nothing but food to us, yet Marcus and the two he turned have _civilized _,” the word was spat with a sneer, “the vampire world. They must be brought down. Now they have found their mate, and she is the perfect tool. Destroy her and we will destroy them. Humans will learn that their rightful place is at our feet, baring their necks in willing sacrifice, or between our teeth, whimpering in fear.”____

____“Mistress, I believe she is a shield, manifesting even in human form. Edward could not read her thoughts, something that has never happened before,” the new voice seemed calm, but any vampire could hear the underlying nerves._ _ _ _

____“And you left her unturned? In our hands she may have been useful. And when the time came that she met her mates, we would have her in our grasp, a powerful incentive for those three to allow us to reclaim dominion without opposition. You fools!”_ _ _ _

____“I had hoped to have more time to allow her gift to mature before turning her, but Edward was having such trouble with her blood. I was afraid he would drain her before we ever got the chance. It took a lot of subtle persuasion to make him think she would be safer if we all left. His bloodlust sending Jasper over the edge was the push he needed. Alice saw in those first weeks how broken she was. We had planned on returning after the end of the school year, and collecting a more pliable creature then.”_ _ _ _

____“That did not work, did it, Carlisle?” the female hissed. “That immature child you find so useful is more trouble than he's worth. I have tried on many occasions to have him tempted to our cause. I thought we could reveal ourselves to him during his period of _rebellion _,” she scoffed, “but that was short-lived and he has been unbearably guilt-ridden since. I should have insisted you destroy him long ago, and all those in your precious coven who show no sign of embracing our true selves. Having to meet with you two in secrecy angers me.”___ _ _ _

______“Our appearance as a family of vampires who abstain from human blood and care for each other and the humans allows me to foster valuable contacts. It enabled me to make a treaty with the spirit-wolves of La Push several decades ago. I do not know if any of this generation have shifted, but I moved back there hoping that somehow our presence would cause them to change. I'm certain they will be valuable allies, once we tell them we are fighting the vicious human-drinkers that lead this world.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I care not for your schemes, Carlisle! That the girl manifested in human form at all means that she was already more than powerful enough and should have been turned. Do not let your greed lead you astray again, Carlisle. Either someone is useful immediately or they are not. Make so large a mistake again, and it will be your last.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______***---***---***---***---***---***---_ _ _ _ _ _

______“But Christmas is just a few days away. Can't you stay at least that long?” While Charlie knew that he would have to allow Bella to go with these three, he was looking for any excuse he could to delay her departure. He wasn't ready to let her go yet, especially so far away. “And she hasn't even graduated. She needs to finish school.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______He and the three brothers were still standing the Council Hall in La Push. Jake and the Elders had stayed, as well as Leah with her mates, but the rest of the pack had gone home. Charlie looked at his daughter, still sleeping in Caius's arms. It seemed impossible that only yesterday morning she was wrapped in bandages and laying unconscious in the hospital. His eyes narrowed as he studied her injuries. The scabbing was leaving her face faster than he thought it should, and her bruises had already faded, even to his eyes._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Is it just me, or does she look to be in better shape than she should?” The question in Charlie's mind came from Jake, who had also been silently studying his slumbering friend._ _ _ _ _ _

______Marcus's eyes took in the beauty that belonged to him and his brothers, and he lifted a hand to slowly brush to back of his fingers along a fading bruise on her cheek. “We do not often find ourselves watching the healing process of a human, but it does appear that our Bella is mending more rapidly than normal. We will have a doctor examine her further when we get to Volterra.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I must inform you of the spirit-walk, and the warning we were given, brothers,” Aro began, looking at Bella and smiling slightly. “I will wait for the entirety of it until we are on our way home, but I will tell you that the spirit of the First Wolf, Taha Aki, said that everything that our bond is, everything that Bella is, carries meaning. There is an unknown evil looming before us, and we have a lot to do and discover so that we are ready to meet it._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes, Charlie, Christmas is nearly here. I know you do not want to see your daughter go so soon. But I assure you it is necessary. We have left our world in very capable hands, but they are not our hands. We have duties that we cannot shirk. We also feel a great urgency to have our mate in our own territory, where we have greater resources to devote to her safety. The warning by the spirits is not to be taken lightly. We must begin immediately to prepare.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We are Chosen,” Bella's drowsy murmur silenced the conversation. Caius glanced down, but his mate was still asleep. “We are one. Annointed to ensure the survival of the humans. We will prevail.” She shifted in the arms that held her, and settled quietly once more._ _ _ _ _ _

______“This young one seems to have prophetic dreams,” Old Quil said. “Jacob told us that she dreamed about you for weeks before you found each other. She knew there were three who had been seeking her. Attend her while she sleeps. The spirits may guide you through her dreams.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Charlie was unsurprised by Old Quil's assessment. He had never met anyone else with such a firmly-held belief in the validity of the spirit-world. And the last few days had shown Charlie that the Quileute shaman had been right all along, and was probably right about Bella's dreams. He knew that they were often vivid, and even ones she could not remember had disrupted her nights on more than one occasion. Jake had said that she seemed intuitively aware of the supernatural world, and had easily discerned the secrets of both the Cullens and the Quileutes._ _ _ _ _ _

______“We must leave tomorrow,” Aro saw that evening was approaching. He was pleased by how easy the heavy cloud-cover in this area made being outside in the daytime. And with the short winter days, he didn't worry too much about having to get to the airport at a time when his mate should be asleep. “Charlie, you are most welcome to come with us. For a short time, or forever. We will not cut you out of Bella's life.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I thought any human who knows about vampire's had to be killed or turned?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Aro chuckled, “That would make life in Volterra quite difficult. Can you imagine if we were some mysterious group, never seen in the daylight hours? If we were always in robes, cult-like, frightening the citizens - pale, red-eyed, and inhumanly beautiful? That would do nothing but engender gossip and confusion. We enjoy a peaceful existence with the humans in the city. We do not flaunt ourselves, but most are aware of what we are.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“How is that possible?” Lucas Uley asked in disbelief. “How is the secret kept? How is there no panic, knowing what you are and what you need to survive? I just can't see how that is possible.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Marcus held up his hand to stop Aro from continuing. “These are questions that will be answered, but I know that Bella would be interested in the explanation as well. I do believe she will need to eat soon; we can discuss this after dinner.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Sue has made food for everyone tonight. Please join us.” Harry invited. “We can eat and talk, if that is agreeable to you.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Quite satisfactory. In light of the imprints, we must also discuss your children.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Harry's mouth tightened as he nodded once. He knew where that conversation would lead, and he was not looking forward to Sue's reaction._ _ _ _ _ _

______***---***---***---***---***---***---_ _ _ _ _ _

______The Clearwater house was crammed full; the vampires had seated themselves in the living room while everyone else ate. Seth and Jane had been called back for dinner, and the upcoming discussion about their future. Jake had observed that Embry was the most level-headed of the pack, and sent him out to patrol, since Alec had volunteered to replace his sister. Embry seemed quite in touch with his wolf, and showed neither the exuberant youthfulness of Quil, nor the residual mistrust of the others. Jake had asked him to be Beta, and was pleased when the position was accepted._ _ _ _ _ _

______After dinner, Sue had served coffee and cake, and they joined the vampires in the other room. On the loveseat, Leah was perched on Demetri's lap, with Felix next to them. The Kings were on the couch, and Bella was being held by Marcus, with her legs across the other two. The parents had brought their chairs in from the kitchen, and Jake, Seth and Jane lounged on the carpet. Aro began the conversation, repeating what Bella had missed earlier._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Wow,” Bella opened her mouth, closed it, then tried again. “So nearly every adult in Volterra knows about you?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“That is so.” Marcus confirmed. “We have been settled there for centuries, employing humans for everything from cleaning the castle to doing our bookkeeping. Many of the jobs have been passed down from parent to child for many generations. Any who work directly for us are handsomely compensated. Those who do not still benefit from our presence. We frequent the merchants in the city, provide housing, sponsor charities, bring in tourists to increase revenue, and ensure that the infrastructure is maintained. When new technologies become available, we arrange to have them brought in. We subsidised the installation of modern sewage, electricity, the telephone, and internet. We alse ensure that the citizens have access to the most advanced medical care.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“How do you know they won't tell? And what about new people moving to Volterra? Or if someone decides they want to leave?” Everyone was content to let Bella continue to ask all the questions._ _ _ _ _ _

______“We control the real estate and development in Volterra and the area surrounding it. We make sure that there is no housing available; nowhere for people to move to. We also keep an eye on the employment. If a job cannot be filled in-house, so to speak, we will carefully choose a person to suit.” Aro began fiddling with the ends of Bella's hair, watching the many different shades of colour, and the variety of textures. He went on, his mind only partly on his words. “We have a coven-member, Heidi, whose gift is that of allure. She calls people to her, and they follow her. She brings tourists into the city. We show them around, encourage them to patronize the shops, eat at the restaurants – all the things tourists like to do. But Heidi will also look for a potential employee on her expeditions. Once they have visited us, my interview requires nothing more than a handshake to determine the worth of the individual. It is all very careful.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Anyone may leave if they want to,” Caius continued, “although most do not. Chelsea, who is also a member of our senior guard, has the ability to ensure loyalty. We use her gift to guarantee that no one speaks about vampires, even to each other, and even if they choose to leave the city. A parent will not even tell their child until their twenty-first birthday. Although it is a common misconception in our world that we use Chelsea to instill in our guard blind loyalty.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Why don't the children know? Does Chelsea's gift not work on them?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Chelsea's gift will work on anyone, except you, my mate,” Marcus brushed her hair away from her face. “But we would not do that to a child except in the most pressing circumstances. And no one may know until their twenty-first birthday because most young people have decided by that age whether or not they wish to stay in the city, or leave to pursue opportunity elsewhere.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Also, we will not allow anyone younger to offer their blood to us,” Caius held up his hand and talked over the shocked exclamations of the Quileutes. “It is a tradition, long held. The living donor always makes the decision on their own. There is no expectation and no coercion. There are currently about two hundred people, out of nearly five thousand, who are willing to offer us fresh blood when we want it. We have guidelines – the person must be of sound mind, not pregnant or breastfeeding, and must have eaten and be feeling well that day. It is quite civilized.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“That's how you feed?” Jake was incredulous. “People just donate blood? Wait, I thought Jane said donated blood was disgusting.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We do not collect the blood into bags, Alpha. It is either collected into a goblet, or the open wound is offered directly to us. In those cases, we are very careful with our venom. But that is not the only way we feed. Humans are susceptible to many painful and fatal illnesses and injuries. We will sometimes end a suffering life, if the person has ever accepted us so fully that their life's blood had been donated freely.” Caius halted, remembering some of the people whose pain he had ended. “Those occasions are bittersweet, for the individual, the family, and for us._ _ _ _ _ _

______Then he grinned, and looked up. “But do not forget we are vampires, and there is an animal inside us who enjoys chasing its prey. There are times when we go out into a large city, and find ourselves a fresh meal.” He seemed to enjoy the snarls coming from the shifters, as they held themselves still at his comment._ _ _ _ _ _

______Marcus sighed at his brother's antics. “Yes, we do sometimes hunt and kill humans, but Caius neglected to mention that we do try to stick to the less seemly of your race. We seek the criminal element. And we never eat children.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______There was an uncomfortable pause when the brothers were done speaking. Finally, Seth stood up, “I want more cake. Anybody else?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Leah looked at her brother and gave him a half-disgusted look. “What the hell? Doesn't what they just told us bother you?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Why should it? They need to eat, and they seem to be nicer about it than we are. Or have you suddenly become a vegetarian and I don't know about it?” Seth's mild sarcasm, delivered with amusement, enraged Leah. She leapt to her feet._ _ _ _ _ _

______“These are humans, we're talking about! People who think and feel and know what is going on! Or are just walking down the street and bam! they wind up vampire food.” Felix looked at her sharply, but Aro shook his head at the large guard. The people in this room had to come to terms with this information on their own._ _ _ _ _ _

______“People walking down the street with guns, or drugs, or scraped knuckles from when they beat someone for little reason. That is, if I understood what Marcus meant by less seemly.” Bella looked at Marcus, who nodded. “And why should it bother you that people give them blood? You said yourself they know what is going on. If they choose to do this, how is it different from donating to a hospital?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“It's just. . . I just think . . .,” Leah threw up her hands in defeat. “It's just weird to think about. But you're right, even if it creeps me out.” She glanced apologetically at her mates. “I can't help but be a little creeped out.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Felix sighed. “Of course. You've had to make several major adjustments to your beliefs in just a couple of days. You will be more understanding when we arrive in Volterra and you see for yourself how we interact with the humans.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“You can't take Seth,” Sue stated, taking a deep breath. “He's only fourteen. You can't take him with you. I won't let you.” She felt Harry put a hand on her shoulder and glared at him. “I don't care what you say, Harry. Or you, Jake. You may be an Elder and the Alpha, but I am his mother. He can't go.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Harry looked into his wife's tear-filled eyes. “He can't be away from his imprint, Sue. You know this.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Then she can stay here. I won't lose them both at the same time. I won't. At least Leah is an adult. She'll be happy away from here. Seth is my baby.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“He is a Protector, Sue,” Jake said. “He is your son, but he is a shapeshifter. The imprint has determined that his fate lies away from here.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Marcus passed Bella to Aro, and walked to Sue. He kneeled down in front and her and took both her hands in his, looking at her compassionately. “Of course you do not want your child to be taken from you. It is a testament to the kind of mother that you are, that you are willing to defy each person in this room. I can see where Leah gets her fierce spirit. We will give you a choice.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Sue looked at him warily. “What choice?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We will allow Jane to remain here for two weeks. You will have until just after the New Year. After that, she is needed back in Volterra. She is a valuable part of our guard, and she is family. Seth must accompany her, and he is now family to us also. You have this choice: you may come to live in Volterra with us, or you may stay here. You will be allowed to visit, at our expense, whenever you want. We will send Seth and Jane back frequently. Think about this, Sue Clearwater. Your family will always be welcomed. Without you, we would not have our mate, and our guards would not have theirs.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Sue nodded, as a few tears spilled over. She swiped them away and got up to gather the dishes. Seth got up, too, and wrapped his arms around her. They stood together a while, and then he whispered something in her ear. She laughed and smacked him lightly, then handed him the dishes. He took them to the kitchen and started filling the sink with soapy water._ _ _ _ _ _

______Jane watched the interaction with amusement. The other occupants of the room noted the fond smile on her face when she looked at Seth, standing in front of the sink, but she was not aware of it. She stood, and walked over to the young wolf, bumping him gently out of the way and beginning to wash the dishes herself. Household chores didn't change a lot through the ages. There always seemed to be dust, dishes and dirty clothes._ _ _ _ _ _

______Seth grabbed a dish towel and began to dry. He was quiet for a few minutes, and then he whispered so that only she could hear. “If they stay here I will miss them. I'm already going to miss my friends, the pack, and the rest of my family on the rez. But, Jane, I could never miss you. I could never miss you because I could never be apart from you. The absence of you would leave me hollow. I would die. I cannot live without you. It doesn't matter if you only tolerate me for the rest of all time. You are the reason I exist.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jane's hand jerked in the water when he said he couldn't ever miss her, and resumed again as he went on. She had never had anyone hold that depth of feeling for her. She knew the Volturi was family. The Masters were friends, and Aro was as close to a father as she had ever had. Alec was her twin;; they had been born on the same day, died on the same day, and were reborn by the same person on the same day. It was the closest bond she had ever experienced. Until Seth. Until this boy breathed words that told of a devotion she had only ever seen in the Masters' bond with Bella. She was someone's entire world, and that was a hard thing to resist._ _ _ _ _ _

______Seth swallowed hard as his tiny imprint laid her head against his arm and closed her eyes. In the living room, Marcus watched their bond and smiled. They may not be ready for intimacy, but Jane had accepted her mate on this day._ _ _ _ _ _


	16. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Do you think you will have any trouble catching her?" Aro looked at the four guards standing before him. It was pre-dawn and they were in the living room of the Swan house. Marcus was with Bella in her bed, holding her as she slept. It was a position Aro desperately wanted to be in, but right now he and Caius would concentrate on securing their mate's safety. "You know her gift allowed her to escape before."

"Yes, Master, it did. But we were not after her specifically then. If we had been, I would have hunted her down no matter where she went. She will not be allowed to run free now that we are focussed upon her." Demetri paused, thinking. "She will not be expecting the Volturi to work with wolves. She would not have sent one of them to us with Laurent, unless she thought we would kill Seth, and his whole pack. If Leah and Seth were to accompany us, staying out of sight, her gift may only sense the most obvious danger. At the very least, she will have two more hunters from whom she must flee."

"A sensible plan," Caius nodded. "Is your mate ready to join us?"

"Yes, Master. She has said her goodbyes and packed what little she has." Demetri scowled when he remembered her meager belongings. Leah would not be wearing torn clothing and ragged dresses anymore. It mattered not how many time she shredded them from her body; she would always have something clean and new to don. "We can retrieve her things when we go get her and Seth."

"Find Jacob; I believe he is on patrol tonight. I have a feeling he will want to join in. Then you and Seth can return to La Push in his vehicle, Jane. I want Victoria captured before noon."

"Yes, Master," Demetri bowed and he and Jane disappeared.

 

Bella sighed as she lay on the bed in the stateroom of the Volturi jet. Caius held her snug against him, her back pulled securely into his front. His nose was buried in her hair, as he breathed in her scent deeply.

"The shifters do not smell overly pleasant to me, although my guards tell me that their mates' scents are alluring to them. But they do not smell overly repugnant to me, either. I believe I will get used to it with time. But you, my mate – you I could breathe in unceasingly for the remainder of my existence, and I would never fail to find your scent utterly appealing."

"You are utterly appealing in every sense, my Bella." Marcus leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. She closed her eyes, turning her face more fully to him, and touching her tongue to his softly. The king's eyes had darkened with lust as he pulled back. He searched her face, and ran a hand down her cheek. "Your bruises are nearly gone, beloved. We will visit a doctor as soon as we get to Volterra. If your bruises have healed so quickly, your leg may also be well faster than anticipated." He brought his mouth close to her ear, his chilled breath and heated words making her shiver, "And then there will be no stopping us from carrying you to our quarters and consummating our union."

Aro watched from near the door as Bella blushed deeply and her heart sped up. He breathed in the perfume of her blossoming arousal, and smiled with delight. Thus far, their mate's reaction to the caresses they had shared had been all he could have hoped for. She was shy, but unashamed, full of passion and abandon. He could barely wait to join his body with hers, and to watch his brothers do the same.

The sound of high-pitched fury preceded the guards' entrance to the plane. Leaving the stateroom, Aro saw Victoria held firmly between Felix and Demetri. The black-haired king lifted an eyebrow and addressed Alec as he and Leah boarded behind the taller vampires. "Alec, why have you freed her from your gift?"

It was Leah who answered with a grin and a wicked glint in her eye. "It was Jake's idea. He thought she might like to know why the Volturi and the wolves are allies. You should have seen her when she tried to run from your guards and found her escape cut off by Jacob. He got a bite or two in before Alec's gift caught up with her." She snorted with amusement. "The shock on her face was priceless. Jake suggested that Alec release her before boarding so that she could see the cause of her imminent demise."

"I have done nothing! Let me go! I sent Laurent to you! You were supposed to kill these dogs, not make friends!" The hysteria in Victoria's voice matched the madness gleaming in her eyes. Hate also burned in their crimson depths. "Since when have the Volturi been so weak? Or have you started keeping pets? Let me go! Didn't Laurent tell you about the human they are protecting? I need to kill her! Rip her heart from her chest and feast upon it! Why have you captured me?"

Caius helped Bella off the bed and out of the stateroom. He held her closely, ready to pass her back to Marcus if the situation became dangerous for her. Her dry tone cut off the increasingly shrill demands from the red-head. "I think it's because they like my heart in my chest, beating for them. Hello Victoria. Looking for me?"

The shriek that followed her greeting could have shattered glass. Victoria's struggles increased, and Demetri and Felix held her off the ground. Her legs kicked at them as she twisted and flailed, her fingers curled like claws, trying with all her might to lunge toward Bella. "What is she doing here? She killed my mate! She knows about us! Let me kill her!"

Aro's eyes narrowed and the fierceness in their blackened depths caused Victoria's tirade to halt. He smiled cruelly a her and with smooth malice he began, "Aah Victoria. I see you know Bella. But I am quite certain you did not know she is our mate," he snarled, "and we will kill to see her safe. For the injury you inflicted on her, and on the shifters, you will join your coven-mate, Laurent, as our guest, until we decide to end your pitiful existence. Now, Alec, please ensure that this filth is quiet and allows us to enjoy the rest of our flight.

"Yes Master," Alec had held his gift at the ready and now enveloped a newly-shrieking Victoria in its numbing depths. The silence that followed was a relief to all.

Aro watched as Caius escorted Bella back to the bed to lay with her once more. Truthfully, she could likely have sat in the main cabin, but the three of them did not see any reason to stop holding her, and the bed was more comfortable for her.

He turned back to Leah and his guards. "Everything is well with those we left?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's all good." Leah grinned. "I don't know if Mom and Dad are going to leave the rez, but they seem to like Jane. And they are talking about at least coming for a vacation in a month when Charlie moves to Italy. I can't believe he insisted on resigning properly and staying to train his replacement. The guy is too responsible, if you ask me."

Felix shook his head, amusement and resignation on his face as he sat down. Demetri merely took the she-wolf's hand and pulled her toward the cockpit. "Come on, Leah. I'll show you how to fly a plane."

 

Bella would have to remember how literal her mates could be. Sending everyone but Demetri and Renata on to the castle, the kings had indeed brought her directly to the hospital after arriving in Volterra. The orthopedic surgeon had been notified about their impending arrival and was there to meet them at the doors.

Aro and Marcus were filling the doctor in on her injuries, as Caius carried Bella toward diagnostic imaging. There were no glares here at his behaviour. Instead, Bella saw mild curiosity and indulgent smiles, from men and women alike. She couldn't detect any fear, and a few of the staff even greeted the Volturi cheerfully.

"Wow, it really is different from what I expected. But how is it that the vampire world doesn't have a problem with the way things are here? I mean, wouldn't some of them like a human or two to know also?"

"Most of our kind are unaware of the way things are here." Caius told her in discreet tones. "The humans in this city do not speak of our kind, at all. They would not betray to an outsider, not by even a blink, that they have knowledge of our world. Most vampires who come here leave within a day or two. Those who do understand our ways are quite clearly reminded that we maintain a firm hand on the vampire world. They do not dare cross us. Those who Aro sees are not trustworthy are either made loyal by Chelsea, or turned to ash." He set her down on the table and hovered nearby as the technician took the necessary pictures.

"Oh, okay then." Bella was a bit nonplussed at his casualness. Killing a vampire for knowing about the humans in Volterra seemed extreme, but she supposed whatever system the brothers had in place had worked for a long time. She would take the time to understand it, before condemning their practices out of hand.

When the scans were done, the surgeon escorted them to his office, and proceeded to look Bella over. He was gentle as he palpated her cheeks and head, checking for signs of damage.

"Well, Aro, if you had not told me, there is no way I would believe she had been in an accident ever." He shook his head. "There is no swelling, bruising, or tenderness anywhere, from what I can see. Her skin and the structures underneath are perfect. I suspect that the x-rays will show the cast is unnecessary."

Aro smiled brightly at the doctor, "Roberto, meet Bella, our mate. She is quite accident prone, from what I have seen. You may see her again before her change." Bella tried to glare at him, but couldn't help the small giggle that spilled from her. It was true, after all. Aro lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles before turning back to the doctor. "Bella, this is Roberto Baldassare; his family has been close to us since the time of his great, great, great grandfather."

The doctor was a tall, well-built and handsome man, just past his middle years, who greeted Bella with a friendly smile. He opened her file on the computer and looked at the images saved there. Bella watched his expression change from curiosity to astonishment. "How badly was your leg broken, do you know?"

Bella felt Caius's arms tighten, though he was still gentle, and she stroked his arms to soothe his distress. "I'm not sure exactly, but the doctor said they thought about putting pins in. Or screws, or something. He figured I'd be in the cast for eight weeks or more, and need a brace after that for a while, and physiotherapy. Why?"

Roberto glanced at the young woman, who was still being held by Caius. Although he had a healthy respect for these creatures, they had never made him feel like prey. He had been a regular donor for the Volturi since he came of age, and knew each of their temperaments well. He had never seen Marcus so animated, Caius so gentle, or Aro so calm. This dark-haired beauty was a marvel, in so many ways.

"I will remove your cast today. You have no need of it." He got the saw out and made short work of the plaster. "There is only the smallest indication on the scans that there was a break here, and no other damage to any of the surrounding tissues. You may walk out of here, if that is your wish."

Caius put his mouth to her ear. "Do not even think about it, Bella. I enjoy carrying you."

She pulled away to look at him, then smiled as she whispered back. "Plus, how weird would it be if I were to walk out of here, good as new, after everyone saw you carry me in with a cast?" He felt her hot breath against his neck. "I think you should carry me, Caius. It would be better." Then she caught his earlobe between her teeth in a quick, painless nip.

Caius's body went rigid in an instant, his erection straining against his pants, and he surged to his feet in one swift movement. Bella yelped at the unexpected motion, and tightened her grip around his neck, although his own hold on her never faltered.

"Goodbye, Roberto. I hope your family is well," Caius's tone was strained as he walked out of the room, his dark gaze never leaving the temptress in his arms. He heard his brothers somewhat more cordial farewells, and then they walked at a brisk human pace to catch up with him. There were times when the three wished they did not have to hide their abilities outside of their home, and this was definitely one of them.

As they were pulling up to the castle, Aro looked at his guards. "I trust there is nothing that requires our urgent attention?" When they confirmed that all was well, he went on, "We are not to be disturbed. Unless fire and brimstone are raining down upon us, and we are all in danger of our final deaths, none of you will enter our quarters. Double the guards at all entrances, and on the dungeon. Send the servants with her luggage and a snack for her immediately. Instruct them to set everything outside the door and leave. They are not to knock." He and his brothers exited the vehicle with Bella, and without another word, the three kings and their blushing mate disappeared.

 

Bella blinked and held Caius for balance as she was set down inside a large room. She started to look around, but her attention was diverted by cool hands turning her face up to look into black eyes.

"You have forty-five minutes, my mate." Caius's tone was almost feral with lust, as he directed her to the bathroom with light pressure on the small of her back. "We will give you that long to attend to your human needs and bathe, if you desire. Then we will finally finish what we started the day you first laid in my arms. We have been prepared for you for a very long time, and so everything you need is in there for you. Forty-five minutes. One second longer and we will come for you."

Bella's mind fogged as her body responded to his obvious desire. She was so intent on him that she jumped a bit when she heard Aro.

"Go on, dearest." He clapped his hand on Caius's shoulder and drew him back, handing her a black silk robe. "You may put this on afterwards. We would have one for you, but we had no way of knowing your size. This will be too big for you, but you will not be wearing it for long." His grin was wicked. "And we will all catch you if you trip."

Bella took the robe with shaking hands and walked into the bathroom on unsteady legs. She closed the door and leaned back against it, trying to slow her breathing and heart rate. If her mates could get her so excited with a look and a few words, how would she ever survive what was going to happen next? She stumbled to the large garden tub and turned on the water, finding some scented salts and adding them as the tub began to fill. Hoping the noise of the water would cover her other human needs, she quickly used the toilet, then washed her hands and brushed her teeth. They really did have everything she needed.

She had stripped down to climb in the tub when all of a sudden the reality of the situation came crashing down upon her. In just under an hour, she was going to be naked in front of three vampires that she hadn't known a week ago. She looked at herself in the mirror. She saw circles under her eyes, and her hair hanging limply. She still hadn't gained back all the weight she'd lost in the last few months, and she thought her collarbone and hipbones jutted out a little too much. She cupped her breasts and was a little embarrassed when she got only a little more than a handful. She had always thought a 34C was a good size, but now it seemed woefully inadequate. Her mates had been around for thousands of years, and must have had other lovers. Vampire lovers.

Vampire females. Beautiful, flawless, and indestructible. She wasn't beautiful. Pretty enough for a human, but not vampire beautiful. She definitely wasn't flawless. She wasn't indestructible. One vampire male would have a hard enough time making love to her safely. Edward always said he could kill her if he lost control. How would she survive her three mates? How would she satisfy them? She was a virgin. The extent of her sexual experience had been gained in the last week, with these very males, and they were obviously quite eager to advance her sexual experience. Oh God, she needed to shave her legs.

From the bedroom, Aro, Marcus and Caius heard Bella's breathing and heart rate accelerate once more. They looked at each other with concern before they heard, "Oh God, I need to shave my legs," followed by a moan and what sounded like their mate hyperventilating. In the blink of an eye, they were in the bathroom, looking at their mate where she was seated naked on the tile, with her arms wrapped around her bent knees, and her head buried between her arms.

Marcus crouched beside her and ran his hand down her hair. "Bella?" he said softly. Her head whipped up, and the panic in her face shone clearly as she squeaked and drew in on herself further, trying to shield as much of her nudity as she could. "Dearest, why do you panic so? We will not harm you. Take a deep breath, Bella, and hold it. Now release and do it again."

Bella followed his instructions as his hand continued its soothing path from her head down her back. She remembered when he did the same thing in the hospital. They had been so gentle with her. They had never so much as caused her to wince, no matter how heated the moment was. Now that they were in the room, and Marcus's hand was soft on her skin, her panic receded and embarrassment set in. She felt foolish for overreacting.

"Now, amata, tell me what caused you to become so distraught? Did Caius's eagerness upset you?"

"What?" Bella was startled, and raised her head to look for the white-haired vampire. He stood with Aro near the door, concern evident in his features. "No, no. He didn't upset me. It's just. . . it's just. . ." she stuttered, and then swore beneath her breath before rushing on. "I'm just human. Your other lovers had to have been more beautiful than I am. I mean look at me. I'm too skinny, and look like I haven't slept well in months, which I haven't, and my boobs are too small, and Edward always said that he couldn't be with me that way without killing me. . . " she continued to rant over her mates' low growls, ". . .and I'm a virgin and there are three of you, and oh God it's going to hurt, and how can I satisfy one of you, let alone three? I have no experience and you'll be unhappy with me and I have to shave my legs!" She finished her one-breath tirade with a wail, burying her head in her knees once more before mumbling, "And then you come in and stroke my back and everything I'm worrying about seems silly and I feel like an idiot. But I still need to shave my legs."

Marcus glanced up at Caius and Aro. Caius looked mystified, and still upset at the mention of Edward. Aro, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to laugh. Waving them both out of the bathroom, Marcus turned off the water, wrapped a large towel over his young mate, sat next to her on the floor, and pulled her into his lap.

"Now, my darling," his voice was soft, but his tone was firm, "you are going to listen to me. Never have we ever seen a creature as beautiful as you, human or vampire." He gave her a look that silenced her as she looked up once more and opened her mouth. "We have had lovers; you are correct. We three had companions for many centuries. They moved away shortly after you were born, but we are still friends. They are excited to meet you. But you are our mate, a part of our soul. We will never look upon another female with desire in our hearts, our minds, or our bodies again. Never. We cannot, and would not want to, even if we could.

"You list your defects as you see them, but neither I nor my brothers see anything but perfection. If you think I am placating you, then I will remind you that Dr. Baldassare used the word perfect after looking at you today. He was not just speaking medically. Your features have perfect symmetry. Your lips are full and beg to be kissed, your cheekbones are delicately arched, and your nose is exactly as it should be. Your eyes could melt a heart of stone, and drown its owner in their depths. Ask Caius if I speak the truth and he would completely agree. In three thousand years he has never been as tender and caring as he is with you." He smiled as he heard Caius agree through the door.

"Whether or not you have slept well doesn't matter. You will sleep well now, wrapped in the arms of those who love you, or we will change you and any effect your recent sleeplessness has had on your body will vanish. You have the body of a goddess, my mate - of Aphrodite herself. You worry that we will not find your body appealing and that you cannot satisfy us all. I will not try to convince you of your error. You will realize how very much you satisfy us when we four are laying replete upon the bed, sated to the very core of our beings.

"You will see, young one, how very much we will care for you. Regardless of the ramblings of that idiot son of Carlisle's, it is very possible for us to be with you physically. One at a time, or all at once. There is only one thing that is not possible." He waited until Bella's questioning gaze met his, and then he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her softly and whispering against her lips. "It is not possible for us to hurt you, beloved. The loss of your maidenhead may not be comfortable, but that is a fleeting pain, quickly replaced by pleasure. We will make certain of that. There is no need to be frightened, Bella. Not of us. Not ever."

He pressed one more lingering kiss to her lips before standing and carrying her to the edge of the tub. She clutched the towel to herself as she watched him drain the cooling water. He turned the taps back on, and went to a cupboard, removing an expensive looking bottle. He poured it into the running water, and fragrant bubbles began to appear.

"This compliments your scent, amata. The other would overwhelm it." He opened several drawers before he found a razor and some cream. Setting them next to her, he smiled. "Shave your legs, my Bella. Enjoy your bath as long as you want. Caius, for all his eagerness, will wait upon you. We all will. Whether you are ready to give yourself to us today or not, you are still our beloved. We would never intentionally cause you fear or panic. And we will demonstrate your worth to you. Every minute of every day for the rest of eternity, as Aro told you before, until you realize for yourself how very precious you are."

With that he left a much calmer Bella to her bath.


	17. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Bella opened the bathroom door and entered the adjoining bedroom shyly. She held up the hem of the robe Aro had given her, looking at her feet to make sure she didn't trip. She enjoyed the feeling of the fine silk as it slid along her body with each step she took. A movement next to her caused her to lift her eyes. Aro was standing there, drinking in the sight of her, and beyond him a myriad of candles bathed the room in a soft glow.

"You are magnificent, dearest," he breathed, and held his hand out to her in a courtly gesture. "Come, we have had some food and drink brought up for you." He led her to a table, around which Caius and Marcus reclined on long seats.

"This is the way we used to eat in our human years," Marcus explained when he saw her curious look. "The practice of eating in a seated position did not come along until centuries later." Aro helped her recline, and handed her a silver goblet. She took a sip, and closed her eyes as the unfamiliar and entirely pleasant taste of red wine washed over her tongue.

Aro lay on his own chair next to her and began to prepare a plate of various fruits and cheeses. While she waited, sipping the wine, she took a look around the room. The canopied, dark wooden bed that dominated the room was a work of art. Each of the posts was carved with ivy-shaped leaves, and sheer white silk drapery panels hung over the canopy and down to the bed. The bedding was the same deep green shown throughout the room, accented with gold. The whole thing was rich, and sensual. The green and gold theme carried to the rest of the room.

"That's beautiful," she said, taking the plate from Aro, and gesturing to the wall on either side of the bed. "What does it mean?"

Aro followed her gaze to the mural. "That is our bond, the way Marcus sees it. We are the gold and you are the the vine. As you can see, we are bound inextricably to each other, and to you. The bud is our mate-bond. It was furled like that until we found you. Now that we are complete it has blossomed."

"Did you paint it?" Bella asked in wonder. She had never dreamed that there would be such a transcendent representation of their soul-bond.

Caius's voice was oddly subdued as he spoke, "I painted it. I have not seen the bond for myself, as my brothers have, but I created this from their descriptions. Aro tells me that there is no way to accurately reproduce what they see, but this is the closest I have come. It took me many years. I will be painting the blossom soon, of course."

"Caius," Bella sighed, "it's amazing. It takes my breath away." She placed her cup and nearly empty plate on the table, and got up to walk over to him. She held out her hand, and he took it, allowing her to draw him to his feet. Sliding her arms around his waist, she laid her cheek against his chest and whispered, "I'm sorry I freaked out. I saw how worried you all looked. I didn't mean to ruin the mood."

"You have ruined nothing, my sweet darling. I was - I am so eager for you that I forget sometimes how very innocent you are. You are cherished by us, Bella, and we will show you great love and tenderness."

Aro drew her away from Caius, tilting her head up for a lingering kiss. "You could never ruin the mood, Bella. The desire we feel for you is everlasting. Today, or a thousand years from now, we will want you. In our bed and in our lives. Will you give yourself to us this day?"

Bella looked into Aro's deep crimson eyes, then Caius's and Marcus's. The lust that had overwhelmed her before was still there, but it was a mere ember when compared to the love that blazed in each of them. In that instant, all hesitance was gone, all her fears disappeared. She was still shy, still a little nervous about the enormity of this action, but there was no panic, only anticipation.

Bella turned her back on her mates and walked slowly to the bed. She ran her hand down the white silk panels, and then looked over her shoulder at the three vampires with a wicked smile. Very deliberately, she loosened the tie on the robe, allowing it to catch on the tips of her breasts, held up in the crook of her arms.

Before she could blink, her mates were standing with her. Marcus pressed himself against her back, pulling her hair away from her neck and placing hot kisses to her bare shoulder. Bella gasped as his cool tongue licked her smooth skin, and she felt him nibble and suck at the juncture where her pulse beat strongly.

Caius's lips met hers and his tongue invaded her mouth to wrap itself around hers. His hands grasped her hips then slid up her body. He pushed the robe aside and she moaned as his hands covered her breasts, caressing the soft globes. He flicked his thumbs across her nipples, drawing another moan and a shudder from her, and causing a rush of arousal between her legs. Her hands slid up into his hair, as she lost herself in the kiss.

"You are beautiful, my mate. Exquisite." Aro watched his brothers make love to Bella, his eyes black with need. He removed his shirt and loosened the button on his pants, relieving some of the aching pressure on his erection. "Lay her down upon the bed, brothers, so that I may join you."

Marcus backed away, and Caius lifted Bella in his arms, the robe falling to the floor. Bella coloured as she realized she was completely naked, but her unease was fleeting. She felt the soft, cool silk of the bed beneath her as Caius lay her down, hovering over her. Once again he took her mouth with his, before standing up. She had a second to watch as he and Marcus shed their shirts, before Aro took his place, kissing her with as much ardour as he had in the limousine days ago. The tips of her breasts grazed his smooth chest, pebbling with sensation, and her entire being thrummed with passion.

Aro inhaled as his mate reacted to his touch. He could smell the sweetness of the dew collecting at her core, and it pleased him that her body was preparing to receive them. He trailed his mouth down her figure, stopping to draw a nipple into his mouth. Bella cried out as he suckled, clutching at the bedding and arching up in surprise. An electric tingle worked through her body from his mouth. She rubbed her thighs together, needing something more, but not knowing how to find it.

Aro felt her movements and smiled. He released her breast, only to have Marcus take his place, his hand stroking smooth circles on her stomach. Caius claimed her mouth, and brushed her other nipple with his fingers, pinching and pulling gently, causing waves of sensation to nearly overcome his mate.

Aro glided farther down Bella's body, noticing with pleasure that she had used the razor on more than just her legs. He ran his hands along her smooth mound. "Brothers," he uttered softly, his cool breath wafting over her clit and lower lips, "she has bared herself for us. Look at the beauty that the Gods have chosen for us."

Bella found no room for a blush in the haze of need clouding her mind. She whimpered as Marcus and Caius stopped their ministrations and stared at her nudity. Their hands smoothed over her bare flesh, and she bucked her hips when fingers softly stroked her labia and grazed her tight bundle of nerves.

"Beauty beyond words," Caius murmured, and resumed devouring her mouth. She heard Marcus agree and felt him at her breast once more. Aro continued to caress her bare folds, and then lowered his mouth to her core. He ran his tongue through her slit, and when he reached her sensitive button, he flicked his tongue against it.

Bella gasped, pushing up towards his mouth as she reached for him, only to encounter Marcus and Caius in her way. Caius caught her hand, and began to lavish kisses upon it, continuing up her arm. He lingered at her pulse points, her delicate wrist, the inside of her elbow, and the translucent, sensitive skin of her upper arm.

Her other hand caught in Marcus's hair. She ran her fingers down its length, grabbing a handful tightly as he continued to nibble along her stomach, ribs, neck and breasts. There was no part of her body that didn't quiver with need. She whimpered, writhing against the bed, twisting and pushing into Aro's touch.

"Oh, oh, mmm!" she cried out. Aro sucked her swollen bud into his mouth, grazing her flesh with his teeth. He ran his fingers along her folds, slick with moisture, and dipped between them to insert his finger gently.

Bella felt the intrusion through the fog of lust. It felt strange, but not uncomfortable. She felt Aro begin to thrust slowly, and could not control the synchronous movement of her pelvis.

Marcus and Caius raised their heads to watch as Aro slipped another finger into Bella. There was a flash of discomfort on her face, replaced so quickly by her mounting need that, even as vampires, they almost missed it.

"Mmm, aaah! Oh, God that feels good" Bella's head was thrown back and she took her arms from Caius and Marcus to finally reach Aro. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she held him to her, rocking up against his mouth and fingers. His tongue continued its vibrations on her swollen clit. Her heart beat quickly and she panted with the rhythm of her undulating hips.

Aro felt the walls of his mate's flesh begin to constrict around him, and curled his fingers in a beckoning motion. Bella's eyes popped open in surprise, and her thighs clamped tightly around his head. She ground herself into his face and hand, deep, shuddering breaths escaping her, inner muscles tightening and releasing her juices in sated gush.

Aro caught the essence of his lover on his tongue in one quick sweep. He could have feasted on her all night, but he knew that it would be better if her body's moisture remained. He glanced up at his brothers as Bella came down from her high. They shared a look and he untangled himself, running his hands down her soft, smooth thighs.

Bella felt Aro leave her as her breath and heart rate returned to normal. She had tried to masturbate a couple of times, after Edward had once again refused her, but had never been able to bring herself to orgasm. Her eyes were full of wonder and satisfaction, yet her body seemed to know that she was still incomplete. Small whines escaped her throat, and her pelvis continued to move in small thrusts. She frowned as she saw her three mates with their pants still on.

"I need you," she moaned. "I want to see you." She sat up, and finding herself closest to Marcus, tugged on his waistband. He buried one hand in her hair, tilting her face up to him, and with the other he unbuttoned his pants. He leaned down to kiss her, released her hair, and then pulled her to sit on the edge of the bed as he stood in front of her. Taking her hands, he placed them at his hips.

"You are welcome to see, and touch, and taste, my beautiful Bella. My body belongs only to you."

Bella smiled shyly as she pushed Marcus's pants and underwear down, allowing his hardened member to spring free. She paused and looked up at Marcus with wide eyes, before slowly wrapping her hand around his length.

"It's so smooth, satiny," she ran her hand down and then back up, marvelling at the texture. Her fingers brushed over the darkened head, catching a liquid drop at the tip. She had seen pictures in sex-ed classes, but nothing prepared her for the real thing. She didn't know whether or not Marcus would be considered large, but he seemed big enough for her. She stroked her hand down to the base and back once more, and heard Marcus groan above her. She looked up at him curiously and smiled more confidently at his expression.

"Dear Gods, have mercy," his mouth fell open as his black eyes stared intently at her. Bella began to push and pull his erection, experimenting with the pressure of her grip and the movement of her hands. She tried straight strokes, and twisting strokes, sometimes rubbing her thumb or fingers over the tip and sometimes not. Marcus's hand came up into her hair once more, and he held on as though she were a lifeline. Bella lifted her other hand to the soft sack at the base of his penis, feeling the weight and texture, rolling and squeezing his testicles in exploration.

Marcus muttered an oath in a language Bella did not understand, before stilling her hands with his. "You must stop, beloved, before I spill into your hands."

Bella looked at her hands and lifted fingers that were damp with his pre-cum to her lips. She licked at them tentatively and surprise lit her features. "I wouldn't mind if you did, Marcus," she informed her mate mischievously. "You taste different than I've heard guys do. Sweeter, better." She sucked at her fingers again and hummed in pleasure.

She was so intent upon Marcus that she gasped when she heard Caius's dark voice sound in her ear, "It is the venom in our bodies, my mate. It makes our bodies sweet. We have been designed to please you in every way." He captured her earlobe between his teeth, much like she had done to him earlier, and she felt a shiver race up her body.

Pulling her to her feet, Caius took her mouth in a gentle kiss before looking deeply into her eyes. "Will you allow me into your body, Bella? Will you allow me to worship you and your body with mine?"

In that moment, Bella could almost feel the depth of devotion Caius had for her. She almost understood what she meant to these three brothers - that she was the gift that they had spent hundreds of years waiting for. Tears filled her eyes as her heart swelled with love, and her smile was wide and happy.

"Yes, Caius. I will not just allow you into my body, I will welcome you with an open heart. Make love to me, my mate. Show me the love I see in your eyes. Love that I feel for you also. Love that I feel for Marcus, and for Aro. My mates. I am yours."

Caius's laughed and swept Bella up in his arms, hugging her tightly to his frame, kissing her her cheeks, her eyes, and even her nose, "My mate. My Bella. I will show you how very much I love you. I am yours every bit as much as you are mine."

Aro plucked her from Caius's arms, kissing her fiercely. She worried for a second that he would hold her too tightly, but it really did seem like it was impossible for them to hurt her. He drew back with a light laugh at her breathlessness, eyes alight with joy, "Dearest, my darling Bella. I will add my love to yours and Caius's. I love you, mate. I have loved you for an eternity and will love you for an eternity more. Until the sky falls into the oceans and darkness consumes us all - even beyond that - you will always have my love."

"And mine, beloved,"Marcus said, drawing her away from Aro gently. His kiss was soft, lingering and sweet, with just an edge of desperate hunger. "My love for you is only matched by that of my brothers. You are, and always will be, our Precious One. Our reason for all that we are and all that we do."

Bella couldn't contain her tears as Marcus passed her gently back to Caius. "That's not true, Marcus," she managed to whisper. "Your love for me is also matched by my love for you three. How can it not be, when everything within me longs for everything within you?"

Caius lifted her in his arms and carried her back to the bed. He laid her down in the very centre. She watched as he and Aro quickly divested themselves of the rest of their clothing, and leaned up on her elbows to look at them.

Caius's cock was the longest and slimmest of the three brothers. Aro and Marcus were similar lengthwise, although Aro was much thicker. Bella was intrigued by the differences, and wanted desperately to touch her mates. She started to arise, but was stopped by Caius settling himself between her thighs. He brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face, then held the back of her head while he feasted on her mouth.

You are so beautiful, my mate. So beautiful." His hand brushed down her side, grazing her breast and continuing its path until he reached her legs. Hooking a hand under her knee, he brought her leg up over his hip, pushing forward with his hips.

Bella's breath caught in her throat as she felt Caius's erection slip through her wet folds, its tip rubbing against her clit. Pleased with her reaction, Caius drew back and repeated the motion, feeling and scenting his mate's increased arousal once more. Holding her leg over his hip and her core open, he continued to thrust against her, while kissing her until she moaned into his mouth, rocking back against him.

Positioning himself at her entrance, Caius looked at Bella, "It is time, sweet darling. I will try to make the pain fleeting." He began to enter her, slowly at first, watching for any sign of pain.

"You are so hot around me, my mate. So tight. So smooth."

Bella whimpered and frowned a little as Caius continued to push forward. The sensation of being stretched and filled was uncomfortable, but not painful. Her body was slick with moisture, and more than ready to accommodate her mates. She tilted her hips up, wrapping her legs around Caius and trying to draw him in farther. Frustrated when she could not manage it, Bella finally whined, "More, Caius! I want more of you. Please! It's OK; it doesn't hurt. It's weird, a little uncomfortable, but I'm getting used to it. I just want all of you."

Caius growled deep in his throat, showing venom coated fangs to Bella for the first time since they'd met. He felt the rush of arousal that was her response, and surged forward with one hard thrust.

Bella cried out in surprise as she felt Caius's sack hit her bottom. "Oh my God, you feel amazing." She closed her eyes and revelled in the sensation as he pulled out and thrust once more.

Caius sat back on his heels, lifting his mate's hips up and thrusting into her hard, over and over. He exulted in every gasp, every moan, every cry that fell from her lips, as her hands grabbed and twisted at the bedding. Marcus and Aro climbed onto the bed, lying next to her, and smoothing their hands and their lips repeatedly over her body. Their other hands were stroking their cocks, pleasuring themselves over the sight of their mate's lustful abandon.

Caius felt his release approaching, and was astonished when he leaned down and sank his teeth into his mate's left breast just as he shot his seed inside of her. He let go with a venom-coated lick, and watched amazed as his brothers sank their teeth into either side of Bella's neck as they spilled their seed over the soft skin of her breasts and stomach.

Bella felt Caius bite her and she cried out, her orgasm washing over her in wave after wave of undiluted sensation. She felt the other two sets of teeth just as she thought she could take no more, and she saw lights burst behind her eyes, the brightness blinding even her mind, before everything faded into darkness.


	18. Interlude III - Through the Clouds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was looking at this, and it seemed as though there were chapters in the wrong order. So I fixed it. I hope there was no confusion. I am posting from Chapter 15 onward to Chapter 23 all at once today, so that I am caught up. Enjoy.

Interlude III – Through the clouds

Caius laid Bella down on the bed in the stateroom. He shut the partition, closing away the sight of Victoria sitting slack under Alec's gift. He wasn't quite sure what he was going to do with her or Laurent yet, but he'd always been an inventive sort. Maybe he would see if he could chisel vampire flesh as he would a block of marble or granite.

One part of his mind stayed on this train of thought. He considered various shapes he could make from vampire parts. He'd burn the arms and legs, of course, so that they could not escape, but he could imagine setting their heads on a shelf, so that they could appreciate his art. He wondered if he could rip away the dead organs and make an urn from a vampire torso. Maybe he could fill it with flowers for his Bella. He wondered how long he could play with them before insanity decreased their pain and his amusement.

However, the majority of his brain was occupied with his mate. She was on her side, facing him, one arm under her head and the other resting on her hip, just above her casted leg. She was staring at him silently, and he took the time to stare back.

She was a beauty, this mate of theirs. Her hair was long and thick, hanging in loose waves halfway down her back. He was sure that most people would call its colour brown, but it was so much more than that. He could pick out individual strands of blue-black, mahogany, auburn, chocolate and blond. He reached out a hand and combed his fingers through her hair, brushing back from her face, tracing the shape of her skull, sliding gently over her neck and down her back. Each strand he touched had a different texture, and he revelled in the variety he could feel with just one touch.

Bella shivered and closed her eyes, letting out a sigh of bliss. There was something so soothing about having her hair petted, and her mates constantly seemed to be touching it. She opened her eyes again and smiled at her white-haired mate. He had been so gentle with her, but she had detected the underlying brusqueness and impatience when he dealt with the hospital staff, and some of the other wolves. She suspected that he was every bit as dangerous as Carlisle had told her. But it was impossible for her to be afraid of any of her mates.

Caius did not look away from his mate when her eyes closed. He skimmed the delicate bones of her face, once more noting the diminished bruising. Her eyes opened, and when she smiled at him, he couldn't help marvelling again at their perfection. The deep brown of her irises started at her pupil and radiated outwards like a starburst. Caius could see each time the shade lightened, until at the very edges she had smatterings of gold and deep green, just like the bond. Marcus had confirmed that when Caius had mentioned it earlier.

"Caius?" Bella's soft voice finally cut the silence. "Do the Volturi celebrate Christmas?"

Caius snorted, "You will learn, my darling, that with Aro around, we are not able to ignore a holiday that humans enjoy so much. He infects the coven with good cheer every December. I do not get involved, but there are several of the Volturi who enjoy it every bit as much as Aro."

Aro slid open the partition and grinned at Bella. "Caius is our resident Grinch, my dear." He chuckled when Caius snarled lightly at him and retreated to the main cabin. He wasted no time in taking Caius's spot next to their mate. "When the humans here began celebrating Christmas, we also began to enjoy the holiday. The exterior of the castle is decorated, and we provide the light displays throughout the town. Felix has a very fun time pretending to be Santa Claus. Heidi and Chelsea do the shopping – nothing extravagant – and he actually does visit every house with a young child to leave the gifts."

Bella giggled, and then laughed outright when she heard Felix's, "Ho, ho, ho!" resound through the aircraft. "Does he go down the chimneys in a red suit, and eat the cookies and milk?"

Aro laughed with her. "He has a red suit, shiny buckle and all, and the parents usually leave a way in for him. An unlocked window or door, or maybe a key that has been sent for Jolly Ol' St. Felix. I believe he has a ring of them that he keeps until he stops visiting that house. And no milk and cookies. I don't think even he would go that far."

Bella smiled again and shook her head in mild disbelief. The Cullens had always had a supercilious view of their own superiority over other vampires. They held themselves to be more humane and compassionate than any other creature in their world. But Bella had never seen Alice spend any money on anyone she didn't think was her equal. She had never seen them treat anyone at school with any sort of real kindness, and Jacob had made her agree that at least half of them were not actually kind to her, either.

"What am I going to do about school, Aro? I am so close to graduating. It seems like a waste to stop now, but I know I can't go back to Forks and finish there."

Aro sighed, "If not for the warning of the spirits, you could go back to Forks, although at least one of us would always be with you. Now that the threat to your life has been apprehended, at least. But after the spirit-walk, we will not let you out of our sight until we are assured the danger, whatever it is, has passed."

"So then, what? I would like to at least finish high school, and I'm sure Charlie would like it if I finished, also."

"We will tutor you, if you'd like. I assure you that you will get a far greater education from us anyway. You have examinations to take?" At Bella's nod, he continued, "We will make arrangements with the secondary school in Volterra for you to take them there. A semester abroad; isn't that what it's called? We can also arrange a human tutor, if that is your preference. Unfortunately, we simply cannot allow you to attend the school. From now on, you will be accompanied at all times, if not by us, then by the guard."

"That seems like a pain in the butt for you guys. I don't want to inconvenience anyone." As nice as they had all been so far, Bella wasn't sure that the guards would enjoy spending their hours watching her sleep, or slowing themselves to meet her human pace.

Bella jumped as Caius returned to her with lightning speed. He bent over Aro to take her face lightly between his hands. His touch was gentle, but his voice was full of playful menace as he warned, "Do not think of yourself with such little regard again, mate. Your worth to us is beyond measure, and we will safeguard your life with the last drop of our venom."

Bella could not help the shiver of arousal he inspired in her. She sensed that if she continued to protest, the lightness would disappear from his voice, and she might very well be relegated to a life lived from the safety of his arms. She chose instead to turn her head and place a kiss into his palm, nodding once. Satisfied, he returned to his seat, turning the lights down and closing the divider as he left.

Bella gave a wry grin. She hadn't realized she was tired until Caius took it upon himself to subtly announce nap time. She closed her eyes. "Aro, would you tell me more about your gifts?"

"Of course, dearest," was the reply. She fell asleep to the soothing rhythm of his voice.


	19. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "All the world's a stage" - Shakespear
> 
> The Grinch - Dr Suess.
> 
> Sometimes I forget I have referenced something when the time comes to actually write the author's note.

Chapter 16

The kings returned to awareness quickly, Aro and Marcus licking closed the bite marks they had made. The three ancients looked at each other in panic, then at their unconscious mate, where she lay surrounded by them.

"What did we do, brothers?" Aro was horrified and confused. "I know we were going to turn her, but we hadn't even talked about it with her yet."

"I had no control, Aro. I don't know what happened. Marcus, does the bond say anything?"

"It does not, brothers, yet I could not control it, either." He looked down at his mate. He could not regret changing Bella, but they had meant to speak with her first. Frowning thoughtfully, he continued, "But look, brothers. Listen. Her heart does not beat faster; she does not cry out with pain, and her face is as peaceful as if she were sleeping."

Caius watched his mate from where he was still nestled between her thighs. Marcus was right; she did not act as though she was burning. He didn't understand why she was not screaming as the venom stripped away her human self. They needed to discuss this further and let the coven know their mate was changing. Blood would need to be procured, and arrangements made for their treasured newborn mate.

The three brothers sighed as one, and started to remove themselves from their beloved's warmth. They had barely shifted when Bella's drowsy voice stopped them.

"Don't go. I'm comfortable. Just stay here with me."Her words dropped off to a mumble that the kings strained to hear. "Plus I still want Marcus and Aro."

The vampires looked at each other, completely bemused. Not only did Bella not appear to be in pain, but she was seemingly lucid.

"What is happening, Marcus?" Aro was deeply concerned. "I have seen in Jake's mind the story of when she was bitten. She felt the burn of that venom before it was removed. Why is she not burning now?"

"Is it possible for her to have gained an immunity to venom? Will we even be able to change her? If that is the case, then what is happening to her now? Why is she not awake?" Caius was panicked at the thought of losing his mate to mortality when they had just found her.

"Shh, Caius. Be calm," Bella's sleepy voice cut through her mates' growing unease. "Be calm, Aro. Be calm, Marcus. All will be well."

Bella fell silent with a sigh of one in deep slumber. Her heart rate and breathing were the rhythmic measure of sleep. Even her eyes danced beneath their lids as though she dreamt, yet her words showed awareness of the turmoil within her mates.

The kings studied the beauty laying with them and then looked back at each other. Caius finally withdrew from Bella's hot centre, rolling onto his back with his mate still held firmly in his arms. Marcus and Aro adjusted their positions with the movement, so that they once more ended on either side of their mate, each with a hand on her naked back. Bella hummed a low sound of contentment against Caius's chest, and then quieted once more.

Aro finally spoke. "There is more happening than we know, brothers. The warning of the Quileute Spirits cannot be taken lightly. Taha Aki spoke of our bond as a thing preordained since the moment you became a vampire, Marcus. Perhaps even before that. You never knew your Maker, and I have never been able to glimpse even a hint of him, or her, in your mind. We must trust that the Gods have a plan for our Bella. Maybe she is meant to change this way. Maybe she burned before because she was not meant to be tainted with venom that did not belong to her mates. We will have to wait for the outcome of this situation to reveal itself. In the meantime, if she wants us to remain, then we will remain."

"And I will watch the bond closely and inform you if I see the slightest change." Marcus stated. To his gift, his mate looked as she had in the hospital, complete with the floral diadem and ethereal golden glow. It had not changed; he could lose himself in its beauty.

Caius pulled a fistful of Bella's hair toward his face, breathing deeply. Her scent soothed him, as it had from the first. Spring violets and frankincense. He closed his eyes and willed away his panic, choosing to trust his mate's assertions that she was well.

Aro propped himself up on one elbow, his other hand still skimming down his darling's back. He spared a second to check his brothers' minds, before resuming his intent watch over his mate. He tuned his ear to her breathing and heart-rate, and ran his eyes unceasingly over every inch of her body bared to him. He would not miss anything.

Several hours later, the brothers were still in the same positions. Aside from the heart rate, breathing, and occasional sleepy shift from Bella, the room had been completely still and silent. So when a golden aura surrounded their mate, even Aro was surprised.

Marcus heard the swift intake of air from Aro and pushed his bond-sight away. He was startled to find her glowing, just as she did to his gift. Caius's eyes had snapped open at the noise, wondering what had happened that he did not hear or feel.

He beheld the golden nimbus with the same awe that was in his brothers' expressions. He had only a moment to admire its beauty before vines grew around his mate from within her, reaching out to him and his brothers. He felt them grow around his arms and over his collarbone toward his unbeating heart. The vines also grew out from each brother to the other two, wrapping them all together. The web was unbreakable, yet fluid, allowing him to shift so that he had a better view of what was happening.

When the vines stopped moving, golden lines sprung out from each of the three vampires, pushing through the vines that connected the kings to each other, and around the vines that tied them to Bella. The leaves were deep, glossy green, lined with shining gold.

Suddenly, Bella stirred, and sat up, still on Caius. Her eyes were open, but the brown had been replaced entirely by green and gold. She spread her arms to the side, and spoke in a voice that did not quite sound like her own. "We are One. We are Eternal. We are Entwined." As she finished speaking, buds broke from the vines and blossomed fully. The entire thing glowed brilliantly, and then settled.

Caius entire being was suffused with joy as, after fifteen hundred years, he finally was able to see his mate-bond with his own eyes. His mate was divine, naked, with a coronet of flowers and her limbs and torso adorned with garlands of rich green and gold. He would spend the rest of his existence worshipping this goddess.

Before any of the three were able to breathe out their reverent thoughts, the bond began to melt away around the kings, becoming translucent before sinking into their skin. Where the bond touched, their vampire skin blazed with the unfamiliar and unwelcome sensation of great heat, before cooling once more.

Before the vines around Bella disappeared completely, the skin beneath took on the appearance of the bark of an ancient oak. Where her mates still touched her, her human softness firmed, hardening until their gentle touches were obviously no longer needed. Marcus's eyes widened. In that moment, Taha Aki's instructions made sense and he knew what to look for when they began their quest for information.

He could not take his eyes off his mate as the entire image sunk into her skin, leaving the same soft, creamy complexion as before. The only change was Bella's eyes. The starburst of brown had been replaced entirely by shades of green, and around her pupils and the outer edge of her irises shone rings of pure gold.

The three brothers caught the beauty as her eyes fluttered shut and she slumped unconscious once more. As they lay her down, they noticed the green and gold design of vines, with a single white, five-petalled flower decorating her left breast, where her heart still beat.

And they finally noticed the coloured markings on their own skin - a physical representation of their bond, winding up their arms and across their collarbones, ending over their hearts with the same design as their mate's.

 

The two powerful beings stood in a small clearing in the forest, looking down at the pair of blond-haired vampires kneeling at their feet. "You have done well, young ones," the male declared. "She is with her mates now, and their purpose will endure. You kept her safe and influenced the decision that removed her from those who would mean her harm. You are released from your duty, with our gratitude. It is time to leave the Cullen coven."

Standing, Jasper sighed with relief. Even with Rosalie's gift misleading Edward's mind reading, the constant need to be on guard around the Cullens was tiresome. He remembered when he had been freed from Maria's clutches by Peter and Charlotte. They had taken him to a grove of trees, where he had first met the man currently standing before him; the same being who had unburdened Jasper's mind and taught him to feel beyond a person's surface emotions to the emotion of the soul itself. He could literally feel the good or evil intrinsic to that soul, and the magnitude of that good or evil.

It made feeding on humans as easy for him as for any vampire. A truly evil soul was too tainted to feel the guilt, sadness, remorse, or even fear that a good soul would feel when chosen to become a vampire's meal. Jasper was able to focus down to that level and feel nothing but satisfaction in his feeds. He knew that he had just rid the world of one who deserved to die.

It had not felt like an obligation when, ten years later, he was asked to help another vampire watch the Cullen clan. He was sent to meet Alice in Philadelphia, knowing she would take him to Carlisle's so-called family. She never knew that he had been sent, nor did she know that Rosalie had been the vampire he was to join. His first look at Alice's soul-emotion had revealed the evil within. The same held for Carlisle.

Rosalie's benefactor had revealed herself the first time the blond beauty was allowed to hunt alone. Also appearing to the vampire in the middle of a copse of trees, she had offered Rosalie help getting revenge on those who had defiled her. The mysterious lady had been incensed that Rosalie had been unwillingly stripped of her virginity. That it was done in such a brutal fashion increased her ire.

When the last vile man had died, soiling himself in fear, both females had felt a righteous sense of satisfaction. It was then that the lady had asked Rosalie to watch the Cullens. There would come a time, she had told the young vampire, when Rosalie's presence would save the life of one who, even though she had not yet been born, had already created a safer, more peaceful, world for vampires and humans alike.

In the meantime, Rose was to watch the Cullens carefully. Carlisle, she was warned, was not as altruistic as he appeared. Watch, and when the time came, she would know who to protect. Rosalie had graciously accepted her task. Even if Carlisle insisted that he had saved her from death, she never quite felt that his motives were pure. There was a gleam in his eye that caused her great unease. She knew that Carlisle had turned her to be a companion to Edward, and she could not help the shudder of revulsion at that thought. She wondered what Carlisle would have done if Edward had indeed been interested in her as a bedmate.

Thankfully, the teenaged vampire was a brooding sort, occupied more with the morose melodrama of eternal adolescence, than with the company of a female. All the world was a stage to Edward, and he seemed determined to play the tragic figure on that stage.

Rosalie had happily found her mate in Emmett shortly thereafter. While the large vampire could be highly insensitive, he was a cheerful sort, always up for a prank, a good game, or a playful fight. He balanced Rosalie's serious nature, and soothed the dark, hurt places within her.

Rosalie had not known about her gift, until the lady revealed it to her. She could mislead the invasive powers of other vampires. She had been violated enough in life, the other female had told her. Her privacy would not be violated in undeath. Edward's heard only thoughts that she didn't feel needed to be kept private, and no one knew she had a gift unless she told them herself.

When Jasper came to them with Alice, she was glad to know she had a powerful and trusted ally with her. While she trusted her mate with her heart and body, the task she had been given was too important for Emmett's casual nature and flippant attitude.

Jasper, on the other hand, was anything but flippant. Sometimes too serious, he wasted no time in identifying Carlisle and Alice as the true dangers. Rosalie never realized until she told him about her gift that it had extended to protect his privacy the moment she knew he could be trusted with her mission. They had experimented with Edward to be certain, and it was obvious that he did not hear their true thoughts about his character.

So the two waited and watched, enduring the discomfort of living with a coven they did not trust and, for Jasper, also enduring the constant hunger that came with animal blood. Rosalie still could not bring herself to feed from humans, and so had no idea what she was denying herself.

Decades passed, but when Edward met Bella, they knew that she was the one they were supposed to protect. Rosalie had just one question for the female standing before them.

"My Lady, why couldn't we just have taken her to her mates, and avoided everything that happened? Wouldn't it have been safer for her?"

"Trust in the Fates, daughter. Alliances have been formed that would not have been otherwise. Taking the girl would have made enemies out of those who should not be, and the path we still travel could have led into an abyss."

"We still have not been able to figure out who commands Carlisle and Alice, my Lady," Jasper felt compelled to point out. That he and Rosalie had never been able to follow the two schemers to their rendezvous over the years rankled his military pride.

"We know who is behind the threat, child," the female gently reminded him. "We just do not know the form they have taken. Worry not, for the Spirits have taken a warning to our Chosen, and now that they are together they are stronger than ever. They will be ready when the time comes."

"My Lord, what of the others? Rosalie and Emmett and I will of course leave immediately, but what of Edward and Esme? He is a spoiled,misguided, arrogant child, but he is not evil. And poor Esme has never been treated kindly. Not in her human life, nor in this one. She lives each day terrified and feeling worthless. But I have never encountered a more gentle soul. She does not deserve to be left behind."

"Take them to the Quileute wolves, young one," The male instructed." Although Iamos has tainted Alice's sight, it is always preferable when she does not see at all. For her own protection, he lifted his shroud on Bella for a brief time, but she is completely veiled once more. The wolves will keep anyone near them shrouded also. Edward and Esme will be safe there."

"Why did letting Alice see Bella protect her?" Rosalie knew that she didn't always get answers to her questions, but she had never been rebuked for asking.

"Rosalie," the deep voice gently queried, "do you think that Carlisle would have waited to try to turn her if she had been immune to both Alice and Edward's gifts? He barely waited to begin with, and may not have at all, if Edward had not been so keen on keeping her human, and he so keen on maintaining his illusion of benevolence. Her shield is inherent to her, but we could make her visible to Alice until there was no longer a need."

"So Edward's spoiled, controlling, brooding selfishness actually managed to accomplish something good? That's got to be a first."

"There are faults in all creatures, Rose," the lady's tone was firm. "Even among us. But good can come from even the most flawed. Remember that, and that Edward's soul was never influenced to evil, as Carlisle's was. The core of his being is pure, and the Quileute will help him find his strength of character."

Jasper and Rosalie both bowed their heads in acknowledgement, and when they raised their eyes once more, the clearing was empty.


	20. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The three kings hovered over their mate briefly, studying the newly-formed design over her breast, and admiring their own adornment. Each was proud that their mate had found a way to mark them as her own. Caius in particular felt overwhelmed. He had asked his brothers to describe their bond so many times, but the physical manifestation he had just witnessed was beyond what he had imagined. He now knew why Aro insisted that it was impossible to reproduce.

His joy at the moment was marred only by his concern for his still-unconscious Bella. He cautiously rose from the bed, expecting a protest from the beauty on the bed. His worry increased when she did not react to his absence at all.

Pacing, he glared at Aro and Marcus, "Why does she still sleep, brothers? We still do not know what is happening. I thought that she would awaken after that display? Does she change, after all?"

"Peace, Caius," soothed Marcus, rising from the bed and redressing himself. "She has changed, beyond the wildest imaginings of us all. I do not know when she will return to us, but I do now know where to begin our search for information. Clothe yourselves, and cover Bella, brothers. Demetri," he raised his voice just slightly, "come to us, please."

 

"Everything you can find on the subject, Demetri. Every scrap, no matter how small, going back as far as we have. Use as many of the senior guard as you need. But you and Jane are the only two among the guard who ever learned the ancient languages, and she is not here. So it falls to you to scour the oldest texts. Bring it all to us."

"Yes, Master Marcus," Demetri hesitated before continuing, "It is Christmas Eve, Masters. Will Felix still be able to leave gifts for the children this year? He was most excited about taking Leah with him. He believes it will help her to understand that we are more than blood-sucking monsters. He thinks she still doubts us."

Aro appeared at the door where Marcus stood instructing the tracker, smiling gleefully, despite having the majority of his mind still focussed on their treasure secure beneath the bedsheets. "Of course, Felix may go. We wouldn't deprive the children of Volterra the wonder and magic of Christmas!" He ignored a derisive snort from Caius. "And what a marvellous idea to take Leah with him. She needs more joy in her life, and this will touch the softness she tries so hard to mask."

Demetri inclined his head in gratitude, a wry grin on his face. His Leah did indeed try to mask her softness, and he knew she had succeeded back in La Push. But no matter how much she glared at the vampires here, every one of them was eager to know her. Even now, she was hiding in their chambers, pretending to need rest, just to get away from the delighted ladies of the coven. They did not need Aro's gift to recognize a kind spirit, and were fascinated by both her nature, and the fact that she had two mates.

Marcus dismissed the guard, and turned back to the bed, just as Bella groaned, inhaling deeply and rolling onto her back. She blinked her eyes open and sat up, moving faster and more gracefully than she had ever managed to do before. She gasped as her mind shed the last bits of sleep away. She remembered her mates' bites as her orgasm spiralled out of control, but everything afterwards was blank, until this moment when she awoke. Before she could panic, or even put a startled hand to her breast or neck to feel the bite marks, three strong male bodies encircled her on the bed.

"Amata, we are here. You are safe," Marcus smoothed his hand down her hair and smiled into her changed eyes. "Quite safe."

"But, I don't understand," Bella's eyes were as bewildered as her tone. "You guys bit me. What happened? How long was I out? Why didn't I burn?" She felt her heart start to race as her breathing picked up. "I'm still human. Why am I still human! I'm supposed to change! I want to change. I want to be with you forever. I'm meant to be with you forever!"

Caius stilled her torrent of words with a soft kiss. "It's OK, Bella. You have been unconscious for the better part of a day. You did change. And even though your heart still beats, we suspect you are every bit as immortal as we are. More perhaps."

"Dearest," Aro wondered, "do you remember nothing of what happened a short time ago?" When Bella shook her head, he slipped off his shirt. Her eyes widened as she saw the coloured pattern now decorating his skin. "At the height of your change, our bond manifested through you, and marked us all. Even you. Look at your breast, precious one."

Instead of looking at herself, Bella reached an unsteady hand out to touch the marks on Aro's arms and chest. She skimmed her fingers along his arm, then paused, frowning, and laid her whole hand upon his chest.

"You are warm," she whispered, "and soft. You were cool and hard before, even to me. But now you are warm and soft. She grabbed Aro's hand, still not quite believing what her mind was telling her. She began to squeeze. "Am I stronger, Aro? If I had squeezed your hand yesterday, you would barely have felt anything. Do you feel me now?"

Aro grimaced and extricated his hand from Bella's. "You are quite strong, cara mia. Perhaps not as strong as a newly-born vampire, but at least as strong as we are, I would think. And your skin has hardened, too. You may not see it, but it is there, just beneath the surface. Protecting you. The dark shadows beneath your eyes are gone and your figure is perfect. You will see for yourself soon. You are magnificent."

"But what does it all mean?" Bella wondered, still rubbing her hand down Aro's chest. She had so many questions milling about her brain, that she hardly noticed when Aro began to purr, covering her hand, and stroking up her arm to push aside her hair. "What am I, now, if I am not a vampire?"

Aro ran his tongue over the mark his teeth had left on his mate, and smiled when she gave a shuddering gasp. He had not forgotten her assertion that she still wanted him and Marcus. "We have set the guard to searching for answers, dearest. We have an idea, but need more information before we can be certain. In the meantime, my mate, I would like to indulge in the wonders of your body."

"As would I," Marcus's bare chest pressed against her back as one hand reached around to play with a bare nipple. He buried his other hand in her hair, guiding her head up and back, so he could ravage her mouth with his. Moaning into his mouth, she arched her breasts against his hand, and was rewarded when Aro claimed her other nipple with his teeth and tongue.

"And this time, amata," Marcus broke the kiss to whisper hotly in her ear, "we will be able to take you without fear of injury. This time, if you will place your trust in us, we will hold nothing back. Are you ready for us?"

Bella shivered in arousal at his words. She had thought about protesting the lovemaking until she knew what had happened, but her body ached for her mates. She would not be satisfied until she had felt each of them within her.

"I trust you," she said softly "I do not fear you, or being with you."

A groan made her look up to see Caius, nude once more. He was watching his brothers with Bella, one hand firmly around his erection. "Lay back, my Bella. I have felt the delight of your body around me. Now I would like to taste its sweetness."

Bella smiled wickedly, "Perhaps, Caius, I would like you to lay back, so that I may taste your sweetness." She held out a hand and when he took it, she pulled him to her side. Aro shifted, eyeing her with a delighted grin, while Marcus simply continued to tease and caress her nipples, and along her spine. She nuzzled her face against Caius's thigh, then pulled a little harder, until he sat on the bed next to her. A quick push had him laying back, happy to let her explore at her leisure.

Bella turned around to Marcus, gripping both hands into his hair and pulling his mouth down to hers. When she pulled away for breath, she turned to Aro, almost startled to find him so close. Giving him a breathless kiss, she looked him and Marcus in the eyes. "I want you both, so much," she panted. "But I also want to try this," she blushed, gesturing to Caius. "Don't stop, though. I love your hands and mouths on me. I want to feel you making love to me."

"You will certainly feel our hands and mouths on you, amata," Marcus declared with black eyes. "It is our purpose to please you, and we will find our own pleasure in that. Do not be afraid to try anything, or ask for anything, or deny us anything."

"Although," Aro grinned again, "I have no doubts you will enjoy every touch we place upon you." Bella acknowledged the truth in that with a shy smile, and then turned back to look at Caius.

Her white-haired mate was beautiful, as were Marcus and Caius. His body was lean, and smooth, all sculpted muscle and perfect vampire flesh. While she had always felt plain compared to vampires, Caius's eyes were devouring her body as though he had never before seen a female. She wondered if she'd ever grow accustomed to the awe she saw in her mates' expressions every time they looked at her.

Her eyes slid down to his erection, and she reached for it, touching and stroking much as she had done with Marcus earlier. Caius groaned, and put his hand over hers, showing her the pressure and speed that he himself preferred. When she began to follow his movements, he let go of her hand and reached for her breasts. Her nipples were deliciously responsive, and he rolled them between his fingers before releasing them.

Bella shifted so that she was lying between his legs, then, in a rush of boldness, leaned down and licked his shaft from base to tip. Caius's head fell back with a surprised cry, and he bucked his hips up. Bella smiled, shyly pleased that she was able to make her mate react with such fervor. She repeated the action, this time swirling her tongue around the tip and closing her lips around it.

Bella felt another set of cool hand run down her back, skimming the sides of her breasts before landing on her hips. Fingers kneaded deeply into the flesh there, raising her hips, so that she was on her knees, with her elbows on Caius's thighs, and her mouth around his turgid length.

"So beautiful, my Bella," Marcus said, admiring the sight of her femininity from behind. He pressed his thumbs to the crease of her thighs, running them down through her moist slit, to circle her clit. Bella moaned as she took Caius further into her mouth. She used one hand to steady and stroke him as she swirled her tongue over him, licking and sucking. She remembered her experience with Marcus, and brought her other hand up to play with his testicles. Caius threaded his hands through her hair, and held her gently as she honed her newly-found skills on his willing member.

Bella began to whimper as she moved against Marcus's still-questing fingers. He had slipped two inside her, moving them in and out gently as he watched her please his soul-brother. As he observed her movements grow more frantic against him, he pulled his fingers from her body and thrust himself inside her in one smooth motion. His delectable mate was shunted forward, moaning with surprise and pleasure around Caius's erection.

"My Bella!" Caius called out, fisting her hair tightly. Bella tasted the sweetness of his seed as he filled her mouth, and swallowed quickly. Releasing him, she gave full voice to her excitement.

"Fuck! Marcus! Oh!" Her wails of pleasure became wordless as tension built within her. She could feel each slide of his body within hers, his hands where they gripped her hips with unheeded strength, and the slap of his sack against her clit with each forward motion. "Marcus!" she cried once more, before her body shook with pleasure, clenching around him as he continued his pace in and out of her. With a final hard push, he pulsed inside her, painting her inner walls with his release. She screamed, and screamed again, grabbing at Caius's available hands, as if they were an anchor to keep her from flying away.

Her head rested against Caius's pelvis as she tried to slow her breathing. Marcus wrapped his arms around her, fondling her breasts as her pulled her up flush against his chest. He still moved shallowly within her, as he ran his nose up the side of her neck and into her hair.

"Look, Bella," he gently turned her head to the side. Aro's dark gaze met hers, and she shuddered at the hunger she saw there. His hard cock was out and in his hand. "Look how he lusts for you. He has waited for you as long as we all have. Caius and I have consummated our union with you. It is Aro's turn."

That reminder was all Bella needed to launch herself at her third mate. "Aro! I did not forget you! I promise I didn't. I just lost myself there for a few minutes. Why didn't you come to me?" Bella was frantic thinking that Aro would feel unwanted for any length of time.

"Bella, dearest," he said, kissing her eyelids and her mouth, "I did not feel slighted. I know this is new for you, and pleasing three males is a daunting task. But it is our job to pleasure you. I did not come because watching my brothers immerse themselves in your body at the same time is one of the most arousing things I can imagine. I knew you would not forget me." He grinned. "I would not let you forget. Nor, apparently, would Marcus, although he should have suspected that his words would distress you."

"You are right, Aro. I am sorry, amata. It was not my intention to worry you."

Bella smiled, laying a hand on Marcus's cheek in an unspoken gesture of forgiveness. Then she faced Aro once more, pushing him onto his back and laying down on top of him. "He was right, though," she stated, leaning down to nibble along his jaw. It is your turn."

Aro pulled her mouth to his, kissing her deeply. He captured her searching tongue in his mouth, and sucked on it lightly. His hand stayed on the back of her neck, while the other snaked down to capture her backside, squeezing the generous muscles there. His hardness pressed to her centre and he moved her hips so they slid against each other. Bella continued the motion, sliding back and forth, as she grabbed his hair with both hands and lost herself to his plundering tongue and lips.

The next time she slid back, Aro tilted her hips, raising her slightly, and plunged his length into her depths. He had a lot more girth than either Marcus or Caius, and Bella stilled for a moment to adjust to the new size and position. Then, pulling up to sit on him, she began the rhythmic sliding motion once more. Her breast swung and bounced with the movement of her body, and Aro lifted a hand from her hip to trap a nipple between his fingers. Pinching lightly, he stopped the sway of her breast, and allowed the to-and-fro action to provide its own pull on the captive bud. Bella shivered, closing her eyes to absorb the sensation, and her tempo faltered. Aro used his other hand to guide her back to her erotic cadence, lifting his hips to match her beat. Faster they went, until Bella could feel the heat surging within her once more. When her body began to shudder, Aro released her nipple, and swiftly moved his hand down to pinch her clit.

Bella flew apart, loudly keening through her orgasm. She felt Caius and Marcus sucking the marks on either side of her neck, as Aro rose up and ran his tongue over the mark on her breast. Before she could come down from the heights, Aro grunted, spilling inside her, and the three of them sank their teeth into her marks again. Bella screamed out in pleasure, and the kings felt the designs over their hearts flare up with heat once more.

The kings removed their teeth from Bella's skin, and she fell against Aro. This time, however, she did not fall unconscious. She turned her head up to meet his eyes.

"I love you," she murmured softly. "I love all of you."

"And we love you, Bellissma," Marcus answered from next to her ear, petting her hair.

"Mmm, I love it when you pet me." She rolled off of Aro and stretched before sitting up. "I expected to be sore, but I'm not." She ran her fingers over the marks on her neck, and then traced the one over her breast. She studied the design there, noting how the crescent-shaped impression worked well into the pattern. Smooth skin on her arm caught her attention and she gasped.

"What is it, Bella?" Caius frowned as his mate began to search her body, making small disbelieving noises.

"My scars, they are gone! Every mark from every scrape and cut I ever had is gone." She looked at her wrist hopefully, then grimaced. "Except, of course, the one I'd really like to see disappear."

Caius took her hand in his, turning her wrist upward and kissing the mark there. "We all felt your pain that day, my darling. This unwanted reminder may not leave your skin, but we can replace it with our own teeth, if you choose."

"Yes, it is permanent, amata," Marcus shook his head sadly. "The scar even manifested on the bond. See," he pointed to a spot on Caius's mural, "that silvery line appeared along with the pain that day, and we were frantic with worry. But the rest of your scars are not supernatural. After the bond manifested, your body completed the change on the outside." Marcus stood, unashamedly naked, and held out a hand to her. "Come with me."


	21. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Bella took Marcus's hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. With Caius and Aro following, he escorted her through a door she had barely noticed before, and into a dressing room.

"Wow," she breathed, looking at the generous space, "I think this is Alice's wet dream. This is your closet?"

"And yours, dearest," Aro smiled indulgently. "Although I would not call it a closet. Several of the chests-of-drawers are for you, and the dressing table is yours as well. He indicated a wall of empty hanging racks and shelves. And, of course, that is yours also. We will need to purchase you a wardrobe soon. If you don't think that you have enough room here, or desire a dressing room of your own, we will arrange that."

Bella choked, wide-eyed. "Um, I think this is plenty of room, thanks. And I don't need my own. But you guys don't each have your own space?"

"We do, my darling. Over time we will each show you the places we consider individual to us. But in this we are as one. When you were born we started to prepare this suite of rooms for the eventuality of the four of us. There is no need for us to have our own chambers. Now, I believe Marcus brought you in here to show you yourself. Look." he turned her to stand in front of an ornately framed full-length mirror.

Bella gaped as she regarded her reflection in the silvered glass. She was still herself, but everything had been enhanced. Her normally pale complexion was like porcelain. Gone was the evidence of sleepless nights and weeks of poor diet. Her skin was flawless and appeared slightly luminescent. Her ribs no longer poked out, and her hips and breasts were full and inviting. She cupped her breasts, just as she had in the bathroom not too long ago, and realized they were slightly larger.

"My boobs got bigger?" she asked, mostly talking to herself. "How cliché."

Aro laughed. "Simply a side-effect of gaining back whatever weight you lost, dearest. You are not a chain-mail clad super-heroine who fights to keep her bounty in a skimpy top with as much effort as she battles evil. Your proportions remain perfection itself."

Bemused, Bella gave Aro a 'what the fuck?' look before resuming her inventory of her body's changes. Her muscle tone had improved, giving her arms, legs, butt and abs definition in a purely feminine way. Her hair had thickened a bit, and bounced in loose curls down her mid-back. It's colour was rich and vibrant, shining the way she'd only seen hair do in shampoo commercials. She was, even by her own self-deprecating standards, very sexy. Very beautiful.

"My eyes," she whispered in awe, drawing closer to the mirror. "They changed colour."

"As our bond manifested we watched them change. It was a breathtaking sight." Caius's face showed his lingering rapture at witnessing his mate-bond.

Bella studied her image a little longer, then turned around to look at her mates. "So, what happened, do you think? I'm obviously not a vampire, but I'm not human anymore, either. You said you had an idea."

Aro and Caius looked to Marcus to explain. He was, after all, the one who had suggested what she was. It was an extraordinary idea, but Marcus insisted he was right.

"According to the guiding spirits of the Quileute wolves," Marcus began, "our bond was foretold in Ancient Greece. We were instructed to seek information from the teachings of our human time, and to look to you and the bond for clues. I had thought it before we heard the words of the spirits, but simply as a passing admiration of the bond. It wasn't until your skin hardened and took on the appearance of an oak. . ." he paused as Bella interrupted.

"Wait. What? I turned into a tree? How is that helpful?"

"No, dearest, you did not turn into a tree," Aro attempted to clarify. "The hardening of your skin took on the appearance of the bark of an oak, before sinking in to lay beneath the surface."

By the look an Bella's face, Aro's helpful explanation did nothing to ease her confusion. He sighed, "I suspect your skin is nearly as impenetrable as ours, even if it still looks soft. We will try to ascertain your strengths soon."

"OK," Bella shook her head and turned back to Marcus, "so what am I, if I'm not a tree?"

"As I was saying," Marcus smiled gently, "I had thought it in passing before, but that final detail did not emerge until your change. You are beautiful all the time, but you could rival the Goddesses when the bond manifests around you. I believe, amata, that you are, at least partly, a nymph. I also believe you are partly a vampire."

"A nymph?" echoed Bella. "You mean like a tree spirit?"

"There are many different kinds of nymphs," Marcus explained. "They are all female, and all nature spirits. Tree spirits are one type, although even among the dryads there are many different varieties. Nymphs are also companions of the Gods – or at least they were in Ancient Greece."

"OK, so you think I'm, what? An Oak nymph or something?" Bella shook her head doubtfully. Vampires and shifters were one thing, but ancient gods? She couldn't quite bring herself to believe that.

"Actually, dearest," Aro began, "we are not sure. That's why we have set the guard to search the library here."

"The entire bond has many components, my darling," Caius came to stand behind her and pressed himself close. He ran his hands up her arms, before pushing her hair to one side and pressing a kiss to the mark there. "You smell like wild violets and frankincense, your skin appears oak-like, the vines are ivy, and the flowers are plumeria."

"You are a veritable bouquet," Aro grinned.

Bella snickered. Aro, she was learning, was an intriguing adaptation of old-fashioned courtliness and modern-day life. His interest in technology and popular culture seemed incongruent in a creature who lived in an ancient castle and was even more ancient himself. And yet, the blend was utterly charming to her.

She traced the flower on her skin as she met Caius's eyes in the mirror. "I've never heard of plumeria. It's pretty. Does it have a meaning?"

"It is a tree-flower, also known as frangipani. Many human cultures attach great symbolism to it. Primarily, it is associated with creation, recreation, new beginnings, new life and love. However, it is also a symbol of immortality, dedication and devotion. There could not be another flower that so accurately portrays our bond."

Caius turned Bella to him, cupping her face in his hands and running his thumbs along her cheekbones. He lowered his mouth to hers and laid a reverent kiss upon her lips. Her eyes drifted shut and he kissed her eyelids before hugging her tightly. He inhaled deeply and then pulled back to look into her eyes.

"Do you feel thirst, my darling? A burn in your throat that will not subside?"

Bella thought about it, then shook her head. "It doesn't burn, or hurt at all, but there is a sort of dryness? Like I don't have enough saliva to swallow. I could just need a drink of water. I could go for something to eat, too."

Marcus gave her an appraising look, "Let us dress, and see what the kitchens have to offer. Then, if you will allow us, we will take you to meet the rest of the coven."  
&&&&&&&&

 

Rosalie drove through the streets of Forks, with Jasper beside her. He looked more weary than she had ever seen him before. In the second row of the dark SUV, Esme and Edward sat quietly. Emmett was at the very back, sullen and confused. He would always follow wherever his Rose went, but he was upset that she and Jasper seemed to be conspiring together. He had always thought that she told him everything, and now he saw that there was something important that he had been left out of. It hurt, and he wasn't sure how to deal with it.

It had been both a simple and difficult matter to leave the Cullen coven. Alice had been terse lately, muttering and rubbing her forehead, a displeased and confused frown on her face. More and more often she left the house by herself, telling everyone she needed to hunt. Edward said she was feeling badly about Bella, although he looked pained when he said it. Rosalie figured that those thoughts were Alice's way of keeping Edward from knowing her true thoughts. She knew that Alice's visions were faulty now, and that was the real reason for her behaviour.

It had taken less than a day before Carlisle and Alice were both away from the house at the same time. He would not be finished his shift at the hospital for several hours, but how long Alice would be gone, and whether or not she would see their decision was uncertain. They had to leave while they had the chance, and they had to do it fast. That was the simple part.

The real difficulty lay in convincing Edward and Esme to come with them. There was no time for explanations, and no time to convince them of Carlisle's and Alice's true natures. As soon as the last echo of Alice's footsteps had faded, and Jasper's gift had confirmed her distance, he had turned that gift on the two other vampires, overwhelming them with complacency and cooperation. Rose had gone with Emmett, chivying her mate to help her pack a small set of clothes for each of them, and whatever personal keepsakes they had.

Jasper's influence had to be maintained throughout the flight to Port Angeles and the drive to Forks. He had never used his gift continuously for so long, and he was as fatigued as a vampire could get. He needed to feed, and soon; he was looking forward to openly enjoying his first real meal in years, but he had to get Edward and Esme to the wolves first. Considering what he'd heard from Rosalie, the Protectors of La Push would not welcome him with red eyes, no matter who he claimed had sent them.

In fact, he was not sure about their reception at all. He was certain that the Quileute did not know that they were about to be asked to protect the very vampire who treated Bella so poorly. He also knew the terms of the treaty Carlisle had with the tribe, and he expected to be attacked the second they entered La Push's boundaries.

However, his Master's orders were quite clear. The Quileute, whether they knew it or not, were now assuming guardianship for Edward and Esme. Jasper hoped they were up to the task. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. He wished there was a way to contact the pack, but Carlisle had not shared that information, not even through his thoughts.

"The only thing we can do is roll down the windows and drive until they smell us and come running," Rosalie pursed her lips. Her thoughts had been running along the same lines as Jasper's. She remembered the last pack; there were only three then, but she had a feeling there were more now. She wished they had been given more information, but there was no point bemoaning the lack at this stage.

From the back, Emmett scowled, "I don't understand any of this, Rose! Why did we leave Carlisle and Alice like that? Why are we dragging Edward and Esme with us, without giving them a choice? Why are we running to La Push? You know the wolves will attack us when they catch us on their land. Are you and Jasper trying to get us all killed?

Meeting Emmett's angry eyes in the rear view mirror, Rosalie shook her head. "Emmett, I know you don't understand. There is so much I haven't told you, that I haven't been able to tell you, and I'm sorry. We're trying to save you, not get you killed. The wolves will help, if they give us a chance to explain. And once these two," she jerked her head toward the passive vampires behind her, "are settled, I promise I will tell you everything. Please just trust me, Em. You might not think I deserve it at the moment, but I hope you'll change your mind when you know everything."

Emmett held her eyes for a long moment, before looking away, huffing and crossing his arms over his chest. "Fine, Rose. I'll keep quiet. I'll even lay down and present my neck for those dogs to chew on, if this is that important. But I expect a really, really good explanation after. And I want you to tell me why Jasper knows everything you've been keeping hidden from your own mate."

Regret coloured Rosalie's eyes, and she nodded. "I promise, Emmett," she whispered.

 

Jake phased in response to the urgent howl. It was mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve, and Embry and Paul were patrolling together. Embry had turned out to be an excellent Beta, and his even temper and steady nature worked well with Paul's more volatile personality.

"Paul, Embry, what is it?" Jake thought, seeking their eyes through his mind. He saw Paul growling at a black SUV. The windows were rolled down, and the smell of vampires hung in the air.

"The Cullens are back," spat Paul. "And they've broken the treaty. They passed the boundary about five minutes ago.

The rest of the pack shifted in as Paul was finishing his explanation. Before Jake could order the pack to join Paul, Embry spoke up, "I think they came looking for us, specifically. They have the windows rolled down and were only driving about five miles an hour. And they stopped and shut off the vehicle as soon as Paul showed up. I'm nearly there."

"OK. Sam and Jared, stay here," Jake ordered. "You probably want to be closer to your imprints if anything happens. Seth, can you ask Jane to join us? It might be good to show them that we have powerful allies among their kind. Quil and I will meet you both there."

Minutes later, the occupants of the SUV watched with wide eyes as four giant wolves surrounded the vehicle. Rosalie barely dared move as the largest of the wolves pushed his snout close to the window, looking at the vampires inside. His eyes darted to Edward and he let out a deep growl, baring his teeth with his hackles rising. He backed away slowly, before turning to dart into the woods.

Jake heard Seth and Jane approaching as he phased to human and pulled on his shorts. They arrived next to him, Jane riding on Seth's massive back. Her acceptance of his greater speed had been grudging the first time she witnessed it. Seth had managed to persuade her to let him take her for a ride, and by the end her usually stern face had been transformed by a wide, delighted smile. Now, she rode on Seth often, and the young man could barely contain his joy.

"Seth, shift back, please. I'd like both of you to come with me. Let's see what these vamps want." He smiled slightly as Jane turned her back swiftly, allowing Seth privacy to phase and dress.

Jane shook her cloak out, and pulled up the hood. She really had no need of it, but it was a longstanding habit to wear it when dealing with other vampires. Nearly everyone in their world knew who the black-cloaked figures represented. When the three were ready, they strode out of the trees, one tiny figure flanked by two imposing males.

Exuding confidence, Jake walked steadily up to the SUV with his companions. He stopped in front of the vehicle, as Seth went around to the driver's side, and Jane stood near the passenger door.

"Cullens," Jake began, "you are trespassing on our lands. I am Jacob Black, Alpha of this pack. Come out of the vehicle and explain what you are doing here. Where is Carlisle Cullen? He has always been the leader of your coven."

Rosalie and Jasper exited the SUV slowly, keeping their hands in full view and their movements deliberate. "We are not here to harm you or your people, Alpha," Jasper stated, exhaustion evident in his voice. "I am Jasper, and this is Rosalie. We were sent to you, to ask for your aid. We can explain everything, but the story is too long to tell in the middle of the street. We did not know what to expect when we arrived, but we certainly didn't think we'd find one of our kind here with you. Especially one of the red-eyed Volturi. You know about Bella, then? Is she still here, or has she returned to Italy with her mates?"

Jake's head jerked with surprise at the question. "How do you know so much, Cullen?" he asked with great suspicion. "Did you conspire among your coven to keep them from her? If you came to try to stop her from leaving, then you are too late. She is in Italy, and happy for it. As for Jane here, that is none of your concern. We will escort you to the Council Hall, where you will explain your presence to my satisfaction."

"But first, Jake," Jane interrupted, "this one must feed. He is not safe to be around humans right now. His eyes are black and bruised."

"Jasper has been keeping Edward and Esme calm for several hours. Since we left upstate New York. He is an empath," Rosalie explained, "and can manipulate emotional states as well. We needed to get away from Carlisle and Alice, and did not have time to argue or explain. He cannot release his gift until they are well guarded. Emmett," she waved a hand to the back of the vehicle, "is my mate, and will not harm anyone."

"You are too young to be using your gift for so long!" Jane exclaimed, addressing Jasper. "Especially with your deplorable diet. You will relinquish your charges to the wolves, Jasper Cullen, and follow me. We will get you a proper meal tonight."

"I'll call Charlie and see if he wouldn't mind donating some blood," Jake said. "He's at my house right now anyway with the Elders and Sue. If it's OK with him, she can collect it for you. It'll save time."

Rosalie and Jasper gasped in shock, but Jane just nodded and handed Jake her phone. Bella's father was remarkably open-minded, much like his daughter. He had already been talking about donating when he reached Volterra. He hadn't yet decided if he wanted to become a vampire.

"Wait," Rosalie waited until Jake finished his call before speaking, "you actually are OK with us drinking human blood? How can that be? The treaty we signed with your ancestors was very clear about what would happen if we ever fed from a human."

"After you give us your story, we will give you ours. Jane, would you mind running ahead and picking up the blood? Sue, Harry, and Lucas are going to donate, too. Will that be enough to tide him over for a bit? I don't want him in the village until we're sure he is in control."

"I will be fine, Alpha," Jasper grumbled, irritated at being spoken about as though he were too weak to make his own decisions. "Please thank them for me," he told Jane. "I can hold my gift until you return."

"You will release them immediately. You need the break. Even vampires tire, and those of us with such powerful gifts fade more quickly. The pack is more than capable of guarding two vampires. Jake, we have time to get to La Push. It will take Sue a little while to gather the blood, but it is best if we can have it while it is still warm, before it clots. We can wait with Jasper in the woods near your house. Until he feeds, he is too weary to use his gift to overcome us."

Jake inclined his head in agreement. He was willing to trust Jane on this, since no one else had the necessary knowledge and experience for this situation. "OK then. You and I can cram in with the vamps, and everyone else will follow the vehicle. Make sure no one makes a run for it." He turned to look at Rosalie. "Is that alright?"

"Fine," Rose said curtly, climbing back into the driver's seat. She didn't like the way they had talked over Jasper, either. "Let's just get this show on the road. You are not the only people I need to explain things to tonight."


	22. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Jasper had pumped as much calmness as he could into Edward and Esme before releasing his gift. Esme had been very quiet since being escorted away from their New York residence. Jasper felt her hope and fear mingling together, the hope building the farther away from Carlisle they got.

It was mostly Edward he was concerned about. The mind-reader had become more and more confused as they travelled together. Although he remained passive under Jasper's influence, he kept asking questions, and couldn't understand why he wasn't getting any answers from Jasper's mind, or Rosalie's. It was interesting to note that his confusion had only increased after the wolves came. Jasper wondered if curiosity would be enough to keep Edward here, or if he would try to flee back to his sire at the first opportunity. The younger vampire had almost an unhealthy view of Carlisle – he regarded him as nearly perfect, and strove to please him.

It took all of Jasper's effort to stay upright when his knees buckled, as the strain of actively using his gift for so long caught up with him. He got back into the passenger's seat, and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. He was desperate to feed, but too enervated to hunt. The thought of human blood being so willingly provided for him caused venom to pool in his mouth. He saw the young-looking vampire enter the SUV with a sharp look at him.

"Will you be able to control yourself when you feed, or will I have to watch you as one would a rabid dog, Cullen?"

Rosalie bristled at her sharp tone, "There is no need to talk to him like that. You have no idea what we've been through." She started the vehicle and headed toward La Push.

Jasper hushed Rosalie with a lethargic wave of his hand. "It's OK, Rose. It's a fair question, even if impolitely delivered. You are Jane Volturi?" he asked the female. At her nod, he continued, "I will be able to control myself. This is not my first experience with extreme starvation, although this is the first time it is a self-inflicted condition. And please, my name is Whitlock, not Cullen. I have been Hale in the past, but never a Cullen."

Jane noted the steely resolve in his voice, and smiled slightly. "Very well, Jasper Whitlock. But I will nevertheless be watching you closely. Make no mistake: if you lose control and I have to stop you, you will not find the experience pleasant."

"Take a right here, and drive along the beach road," Jake broke into the tense silence that followed Jane's statement. "It will take us around La Push, instead of through it, and it should be pretty deserted. Our house is at the end. The pack will keep to the woods, but it looks like you did an OK job knocking these two out," Edward almost looked stoned; he had his arm around Esme, her head buried in his shoulder, and her hair hiding her from view.

 

Jasper felt more energized than he had in years. As hungry as he'd been, there was no blending of colour in his eyes. Instead, they were vividly red for the first time since he met Alice. He knew he would have to feed again sometime during the week, but for now he was content.

As soon as Jane had confirmed that he was no longer a danger to humans, Jake had sent Quil and Jared out to patrol, and led the pack and the vampires to the Council Hall, where the Quileute Elders waited with Sue and Charlie. The chairs inside had been arranged in a circle, and the vampire guests were invited to seat themselves.

The effects of Jasper's gift were wearing off of Edward and Esme. The Cullen matriarch had finally looked up when she exited the vehicle. She glanced quickly around, blanching at the sight of the giant half-naked shifters. She stiffened when she felt an arm around her, but quickly relaxed when she realized Emmett had tucked her into his side.

Since the moment she had been changed, Esme had never taken any time away from Carlisle. During her newborn year, he had been kind and understanding, helping her to abstain from human blood, and adjust to her new circumstances. Additionally, he privately showed her how to keep her surface thoughts constantly light and inconsequential. He claimed that he was teaching her so that Edward would not have to be constantly bombarded by their stresses and worries. Also, he added, as he trailed light kisses down her naked back, he didn't want Edward to see what they did in the privacy of their own chamber.

She had a loving husband, at last, and a foster son on whom she doted, and who relished the maternal affection. Everything was perfect, Esme thought, until the first time she slipped after her newborn year.

In front of Edward, Carlisle had expressed regret and concern for his wife's state-of-mind, and then offered to take her hunting to regain her amber eye colour. It was then she learned what kind of monster had sired her. Carlisle had not listened to her remorse, had not cared that she was just fifteen months old, and had come across a bleeding man.

He had been unmerciful in his 'punishment' that day. She screamed as he bit into her flesh, over and over again, making sure that they were in spots that would never be seen. He had beaten her until her skin cracked and the venom in her body flowed freely from his teeth. Then he had brought her an animal and sat next to her while she drank.

"I have an image to uphold, Esme Cullen, and you will not tarnish it. This is what will happen whenever you decide to taste human blood. It is not hard to abstain, if you put your mind to it. This lifestyle allows us to blend into the human world, where we can search out talent, like Edward's.

"I am looking to expand this family, and when the time is right, we will be heading to Washington. There is an alliance there I seek, but we dare not appear to be anything less than completely humane. Ruin that, Esme, and you will not like the consequences. Did I ever mention I kept several samples of the Spanish Flu that killed Edward? It would be a shame to see that pandemic loose in the world again. Imagine, one-hundred million people dead, because you could not control yourself."

With that he smiled, held out a hand to help her up, and started a leisurely run back toward the house. He stopped once more, just out of Edward's range, and bent close to her ear, "One more thing, my dear: if your darling Edward should ever, and I do mean ever, hear of today's events, or any similar future encounters, in your mind, I will make you watch as I destroy him slowly. Then I will make today's punishment seem like lovemaking."

Oddly, Carlisle had not been as angry as she feared when, five years later, Edward left to go feed an their natural prey. The worst beating she had been given had actually been on the day he called, sounding completely broken, asking for forgiveness, wanting to come home.

Throughout the years she had been meticulous in maintaining the illusion of a loving and well-loved mate. The scars on her body were carefully hidden beneath the modest clothing that Carlisle favoured, and she had perfected her calm and graciously hospitable facade.

She had been terrified that Jasper would learn the truth when he and Alice joined the family, but he had never asked her about what she was sure he had felt on occasion. She did not know why, but she was glad he did not. Even if he was an experienced soldier and could help her escape, she could not take the chance that Carlisle would make good on those threats uttered that horrible day.

That fear nearly overwhelmed her when Jasper and Rosalie came for her early this morning. As the miles passed she became more hopeful that everything would be OK, but she would not feel safe until the monster she had married was a pile of ash. Only decades of practice kept Edward from hearing her worst imaginings. Instead, she chose to take comfort in the arms of her cherished foster-son, and the artificial peace that Jasper pressed upon them.

She had felt the contact of a small, cold body in the vehicle as they made their way into the reservation, but did not want to raise her head to meet the Volturi female. Doing so would mean also having to meet the owner of the deep, menacing voice that so easily commanded everyone around him.

The feelings of calm that Jasper had inundated them with dissipated almost completely during the time he fed. When it was time to leave the vehicle, Esme was once again trembling. She raised her head slightly to look around, and took a hasty step backward as she saw half a dozen large, russet-skinned men, barely dressed. She could not bring herself to lift her eyes further, fearful of what she would see in their eyes. Carlisle had coveted his treaty with the Quileute more than anything she had known, but he had also warned her repeatedly just how dangerous they were to vampires.

Emmett's protection was very welcome in that moment, and Esme settled herself securely against him. As the sat together, she noticed the Elders in her periphery, but still did not look up.

Jasper sat next to her, pushing a small amount of love and comfort at her. He pulled Edward down with him, ignoring the scowl Carlisle's oldest companion sent his way.

Edward was looking around the room, a disgruntled frown prominent on his face and his hands gripping his wild hair. Before everyone had finished sitting his patience had ended, and he sprang back up, heedless of the growls around him. He heard Esme whimper and burrow further into Emmett's side.

"Why can't I get any answers from your minds?!" he exclaimed. "You should all be thinking about this meeting, and what you know of Bella, not your laundry or your job, or your latest sexual conquest!" He glared at Paul with that statement.

Old Quil shook his head at the bronze-haired vampire, "We have been warned of your gift, Edward Cullen, and know how to guard our thoughts. You will have to learn patience, and respect for the privacy of others. You, who have walked this world longer than most in this room, have not grown beyond the foolishness of youth. We do not know why you are here, either. Sit down, and we may all find our answers together."

Edward glared at the elder, and then threw himself into his chair like a petulant child. Jasper rolled his eyes at the display, and gestured for Rosalie to begin.

Seating herself next to Emmett with a stately grace, Rosalie looked around the room.

"What do you know about vampires?" she asked. "Specifically, do any of you," she looked to Jane, "know how vampires began?"

"I do not know, nor, to my knowledge, do the Masters," Jane replied. "We do know that Stefan and Vladimir, the Romanians, are older than the Masters by several centuries. I also know that Marcus does not know who his sire is, although he did sire Aro and Caius."

"All we knew of vampires before this was from our legends," Billy put in, "and we've just learned how very little that was. We know you need blood to survive, have exceptional speed and strength, have nearly impenetrable skin that reflects the sunshine, and some of you have additional gifts. But we know nothing of your origins."

"Have any of you heard of Empousae and Lamiae?" Rosalie watched as everyone around the circle shook their heads. Edward was still huffing and muttering to himself, although she knew he had studied Greek mythology as a way to pass the nights.

Jane, though, looked thoughtful. "You are talking about the female underworld spirits from Ancient Greek mythology? It is said they feasted on the blood of young men. I believe they were in the service of Hecate, who was a goddess, and companion of Persephone, Goddess of the Underworld."

"Yes. There are two, well maybe three, types of vampires, but only one roams this mortal plane. Usually. The Empousae and Lamiae were the two types of original vampires, although the Lamiae were also succubi. While their true forms were hideous, half-demon and half-human, they could resemble beautiful women when they wanted to, and often lured young men to them. Of course, the men never survived the encounters," she grimaced at growls from the wolves. "We are talking about thousands of years in the past.

"Would you wait while I call Italy?" Jane plucked her cell phone from her cloak pocket. "I believe that this is something the Masters should know, and I do think they would prefer to have the information sooner rather than later."

Rosalie nodded, and waited while the small vampire placed the call.

"Merry Christmas, Jane!" came Aro's voice over the phone. "I trust you are enjoying your time with young Seth."

"Merry Christmas, Master Aro," Jane smiled softly, "but it is still Christmas Eve here. It is very early there; I hope I did not wake Bella. I know you will not be far from her."

"We are awake, Jane. Bella has been changed, although she is no ordinary newborn – no ordinary vampire. It is amazing, Jane! She -".

He cut off as Caius interrupted dryly, "While I agree that our mate is amazing, and I am quite certain that the pack and her father will want to hear everything, perhaps you should ask Jane why she called us, Aro. I know she was given instructions to enjoy this time with Seth and his family and not to call unless it was an emergency. Christmas does not constitute an emergency, no matter how excited you get about it."

Aro quickly agreed, and Jane filled him in on what had been happening in La Push. To say he was surprised that five of the Cullens had arrived unannounced was an understatement. He spluttered and blustered, and promised all sorts of dire retributions upon their heads. Finally, Marcus had to wrest the phone away, while Bella ran her hands down his arms and placed her head against his shoulder.

With Aro sufficiently distracted, Marcus asked Jane to continue.

"Rosalie Cullen," she began.

"McCarty," Rose interrupted curtly. Emmett smiled and placed his hand over hers.

Jane narrowed her eyes. "Rosalie McCarty, then, seems somewhat better informed on vampire origins than any other vampire alive, Master Marcus. She was about to explain what she knows about our beginnings, and how they came to seek haven in La Push." Jane proceeded to repeat verbatim what Rose had said about the original vampire spirits.

Marcus hummed in agreement. "Due to the nature of Bella's change, I set Demetri the task of searching the most ancient texts last night, before she awoke. We have already determined that what most today consider mythology is, in fact, as much a part of this world as we are. We will listen to what Rosalie has to say. We were just heading down to the kitchens to see what would tempt our Bella. It seems she hungers for human food, still. Wait a moment while we call for sustenance instead. I will put you on speakerphone, if you will do the same."

Jane set her phone nearer to the Elders, where they would be less likely to miss any comments from Italy. "OK, Masters, we are ready when you are."

It was Aro who spoke this time, in a tone of voice that underscored his dislike of the vampires he was addressing. "You may proceed, Rosalie McCarty, from where you left off. I am most anxious to hear if anything you say can excuse the way you treated our mate."

In their chamber in Italy, Bella chided Aro with a softly placed hand on his shoulder and a whispered, "Be nice," in his ear. He pulled her into his lap and glowered at the phone.

Rose did a swift mental count to ten. She hoped that by the time this phone call was over, everyone would understand just how much she and Jasper had helped Bella. She didn't need accolades, but she was sick of being treated like dirt. Taking a deep breath, and throwing a quick glance of thanks to Jasper for his small hit of patience, she continued her story.

"In the time of the Greek Gods, unusual pregnancies were not uncommon. Athena, for example, was born fully-grown from the cracked skull of Zeus, after he swallowed her mother while she was still pregnant. So there came a time when one of these spirits, called Mormo, found herself expecting. The child within grew quickly, with as much of a thirst for blood as the spirit herself. After a very short while, the child ripped itself from its mother's womb, and crawled from the underworld, falling upon a village of farmers with a savage bloodthirst.

"This child did not drain every villager, and the few that remained burned as though they had been dipped into the volcanic forge of the God Hephaistos. Zeus saw the demon child and destroyed it, but he allowed the changed creatures to remain. When the Gods quit this mortal plane, or dimension we could call it, the created vampires stayed. The Egyptian coven leader is the last of those original creations."

"That's very interesting, but what does it have to do with us or Bella?" Jacob was at once fascinated and confused. "What does it have to do with you, and why you're here? Is this Egyptian the ancient evil we've been told to prepare for?"

"I don't know," Rosalie stated simply. "We think the Empousae and Lamiae have been set loose on this world once more, but we have not been told why. Jasper and I have spent the last several decades watching the Cullens, to try to determine what form these spirits have taken. There are several possibilities, but no proof. We have also been waiting for Bella, so that we could protect her from Carlisle and Alice."

"What do you mean, 'protect her'?" Edward sneered, before anyone else could ask. "Carlisle and Alice never did a thing to hurt Bella. They loved her, cared for her, and treated her like family. You and Jasper are the ones who made her feel unwelcomed!"

"You and Alice are the ones who controlled my every move," came clear female notes from the telephone." Bella's voice did not have the crystal cadence of a vampire, but she had gained an aspect to her tone that brought to mind a walk through the forest, or feeling the spray of the ocean beating upon the rocks, or laying in a meadow on a cool spring day.

Edward flinched when he heard her, remembering their time together with both longing and dislike. He had not been lying when he had told her she was a distraction, but he recalled vividly the decadent call of her blood. He had loved the idea of being with his singer, more than the actual experience. He had also basked in the praise Carlisle heaped upon him for his restraint.

"You and Alice are the ones who brought me into the family, and then abandoned me without a second thought." Bella went on. "You were my first love and Alice my sister. Rosalie and Jasper never made promises they did not keep. Jasper told me once that I was worth it, but he was never clear what 'it' was.

"If they say they were protecting me, then I will believe them and listen to the rest of their story. They, at least, have never lied to me. Never made me feel like they loved me as a sister, mother, or father, and then left without a word. Listen to what a person says, for once, Edward. Not all answers are in someone's thoughts. You should know that. I have learned your gift is limited in its scope."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The reference credit for my mythology information goes to wwwdot theoidot com. An excellent source for all things Ancient Greek Godlike! And if anything contradicts their information, then it's cause I messed with it. My fault, not theirs :) I did my absolute best to relay what I needed to without plagiarizing their site. I hope I succeeded, but if I didn't, then I hope this note suffices as credit where it's due.


	23. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Silence descended after Bella's reprimand. Emmett and Esme swallowed their hurt and their guilt, promising themselves that they would beg her forgiveness at a more appropriate time. Edward sat back in his chair, crossing his arms and pouting once more.

"You are worth so much more than what I sacrificed, Bella." Jasper's voice was tight, as his own emotion threatened to overwhelm him. "Even before you were born, I was pledged to safeguard your life. Meeting you served to solidify my resolve. Now that you have been safely united with your mates, I only hope that you will allow me to continue to watch over you."

"Aren't you the one who let her get away in Phoenix, where she got bitten by that nomad?" Jake asked. "And also the one who tried to eat her on her eighteenth birthday? How can you say you were saving her life?"

"Phoenix. Yes, well, Alice had sent me to check out of the hotel room when James called Bella. She was watching James so closely that she should have seen his decision to call, and the events that followed. Bella escaped from me, true, but that's because she was familiar with the airport, and went where I could not follow. Once she made the decision to use the ladies' room as an exit, Alice should have seen that, but she did not alert me, or hurry to catch Bella. In fact, I called her and started tracking Bella when I became concerned. I do believe that Alice had seen the outcome of that day, and her intent was to have Bella change or die.

"When we got to the studio, I felt an immense sense of satisfaction from her, and also from Carlisle. James was the most immediate threat that day, but he was not the worst one. I did the only thing I could do – I sent Edward intense feelings of self-loathing, desperation, and love, then bolstered what little honest feelings Carlisle has for him. It was enough to have Carlisle agree to Edward's pleading that they try to save her in her human form. Then I absorbed every scrap of bloodlust from Edward that I could safely handle.

"It was close; so very, very close. If Edward had not stopped drinking – if he had hesitated a fraction of a second longer, I would have torn everyone apart and taken Bella to safety myself."

"You lie!" Edward jumped to his feet once more. Charlie rolled his eyes at the histrionics. "Carlisle saved Bella that day. He was the one who encouraged me to suck out the venom. He stopped her bleeding and kept her alive until we got to the hospital. You did the only thing you've ever been good at," he sneered. "I'm sure you revelled in the violence as you tore James apart."

With the last word barely past his lips, he fell to the ground in agony. Growls sounded all around, the disgusted eyes of every wolf trained on the bronze-haired vampire. Jane walked forward slowly, her face a picture of scorn.

"You were told to have patience," she hissed, as Edward writhed on the floor at her feet. "You were told to sit down. You were told to listen! You are rude, arrogant, condescending and full of your own misguided sense of self-importance. I do not know why you were brought here, but I will withhold judgement until the end of the story. You, Edward Cullen, will not have a chance to interrupt again."

With that, she bent down and ripped off his head. "Jake," she addressed the Alpha, "would you ensure his body does not make trouble? If he tries to fight, feel free to rip his limbs off. I will keep this," she shook her hand holding Edward's head lightly, "with me. He will have no choice but to listen quietly now. Perhaps he will learn the value of patience today. Perhaps."

With that, she sat back down next to Seth, placing Edward's head her lap, disregarding the venom soaking her cloak. Jake grasped Edward's upper arm and hauled him to his feet. The large man stood solidly next to the headless undead, his grip never wavering. Silence permeated the room, until a peal of laughter rang out from her cell phone.

"Oh, Jane," Bella gasped, "that was priceless! I'm so sorry I missed seeing that! Now that the whiny brat is quiet, I'd like to hear the rest of Jasper's story. If you worked so hard to protect me in Phoenix; if you were able to absorb so much bloodlust when I was practically bleeding out, then why did you try to eat me over a little paper cut?"

"I didn't," Jasper replied, a smile in his voice. "I lunged at you, thinking about draining you, to make Edward believe I was going to do just that. I didn't anticipate you being thrown into those dishes. Edward has never been particularly attentive to his own actions in tense situations. He's always too worried about what everyone else is thinking to think himself.

"Anyway, it was time to get you away from Alice and Carlisle. Edward was feeling more ambivalent toward you every day. It wouldn't be long before he allowed his bloodlust to overwhelm his fascination with your silent mind, and his delight in being put up on a pedestal by you, and by Carlisle.

"Rosalie knew that the wolves had come to La Push once more, and that you would find your place with them. We had been told that when the Quileute started shifting again, it would be the right time to free you from the Cullens' influence. Your mates would find you, as they had been destined to, since the moment of their creation.

"So, I made it seem as though I could not control myself, and for the next three days I enhanced every emotion in Edward that I thought would make him finally leave. Rosalie continued to lobby for our departure, and for you to remain human and here. Finally, we succeeded. I don't think Carlisle and Alice knew you were mate to the Volturi; they only seemed interested in your gift."

"I am sorry for any pain our leaving caused you, Bella. But it had to be done before Carlisle and Alice convinced Edward to allow you to be changed. You were not meant to be changed by anyone but your mates."

Jasper finished talking and looked around the circle, searching out the emotions of the Quileute. He felt hesitant acceptance and burgeoning respect from most present. There was still a great deal of curiosity, though, and it was Jake who finally asked what everyone was wondering.

"You talk about being told about this and that. Someone sent you to watch Carlisle and Alice. Someone also sent you to protect Bella. How do we know you're telling the truth? What proof do you have that Carlisle and Alice are evil? I may not like the Cullen family, this one in particular," Jake shook Edward's body, "but I never saw any evidence that they were actually evil. Who are you getting your information from?"

Rosalie spoke up then, "I met my Mistress when I was a newborn vampire. My story is not a pleasant one, and I will not share it publicly, except to say I was brutalized and violated until the only thing I could do was lie in the street and bleed to death. Carlisle found me and changed me that night, intending me to be Edward's mate. I did not trust Carlisle from the first – there was something calculating in his manner that caused me great unease.

"It was when my newborn year was nearly over and I thought to exact revenge on the men who had killed me, that Artemis, daughter of Zeus and Leto, appeared to me."

"Did you just say Zeus?" Bella choked out. "As in the King of the gods, Zeus? The one with lightning bolts?"

"Yes," Rosalie smiled at the incredulity in Bella's voice. She would be just as disbelieving if their roles were reversed. And probably not as polite about it. "That Zeus. And Artemis - one of the virgin goddesses, and twin sister of Apollo. Among other things, she watches over the wilderness and wild animals, and is the protector of a girl's virginity until marriage. She also concerns herself with childbirth. She helped me to kill the vile men who killed me, and then asked me to watch and wait. Jasper was sent to help me a few years later."

"Did she send you, too, Jasper?" Marcus asked. He was very interested in this story, and inclined to believe what the two were saying. It made sense, and confirmed what he suspected about Bella. He could hardly wait to see if Demetri found anything in his search. He heard a soft knock at the door and went to retrieve the meal for Bella. He listened to Jasper's response as he helped his mate to recline and began to feed her.

"No, it was not the Lady Artemis who sent me. I did not meet her until several years after I had joined the Cullens. I was sent to meet Alice by Heracles."

"The son of Zeus? Heracles, whose corporeal form descended to Hades upon his death, while he himself ascended to Olympus and was welcomed among the Gods. Heracles, who served penance after Hera drove him mad and he killed his own children. Is that who you mean?" Caius's voice was awe-filled. Reading about the twelve labours of Heracles, or Hercules, as the Romans later called him, was one of his favourite things to do. He had collected as many original Greek texts as he could over the centuries. He even had a few artifacts from the end of the Mycenaean age, the time in which Homer set his writings.

"Yes, where he reconciled with Hera, married Hebe, and became the Protector of mankind." Jasper related his past to the assembled group, and told them how Heracles had taught him how to feel a soul's purity or evil.

"After that, it was a simple matter to feed. I was no longer overwhelmed with the surface emotions of my prey, and could be sure that I was taking someone who endangered everyone around them." He heard the wolves rumbling a bit, but their emotions were more shocked that angry. He supposed that he could have used a better description for his targets that prey.

"Sorry," he apologized, looking at Jacob. "I am a predator, after all. I suppose I could refer to those I have taken in a more sensitive matter, but they really were the most vile individuals you can imagine. Anyway, when I met Carlisle and Alice, I found their souls to be void of any good. They were uncommonly skilled at controlling their emotions. I began to suspect that they were being protected by whomever they serve, as you, Bella, are protected from Alice's visions."

"But Alice saw me in her visions," Bella corrected.

"Since before your birth, Iamos, son of Apollo, grandson of Poseidon, and a Seer himself, has kept you from Alice's sight," Rose explained what they had recently learned. "For your safety, he allowed her to see you while we were in Forks. When we left, the wolves protected you until your mates came. When they found you, the shield that Apollo gifted you with at birth strengthened, and you are hidden from her once more."

"Alice can't see the wolves?" Charlie asked. He had been listening with the same skeptical fascination as everyone else. He still didn't understand what Bella had to do with any of this, but he was interested in learning as much as these two knew.

"We were told they were shrouded. We don't know how or why," Jasper replied, "but it is the reason we brought Esme and Edward here. They do not have anything to do with the others' treachery and we hoped to free them both from that influence before it was too late."

"Carlisle will know we are gone by now," Esme's voice shook, and she kept her eyes on her hands, wringing them in worry." He told me what would happen if anyone found out about his deceit. He will kill millions, Jasper! He collected samples of the disease that killed Edward. He swore that he would unleash it again if I did not keep his secrets."

The room exploded in a cacophony of growls and upraised voices, wolves and elders jumping to their feet in anger. Edward's face was contorted in a silent mask of horror. In Volterra, Bella's stomach revolted, and she barely managed to keep her food down. The kings' eyes were black with rage. Caius grabbed the nearest seat, and hurled it against the wall.

The crash sounded loudly through the phone, and Esme jumped, burying herself back into Emmett's side. Jasper met Rosalie's eyes, seeing in them her deep anger and concern. He wasn't sure what to do about this latest revelation. The emotions in the room were a maelstrom, and he was caught unprepared for the onslaught. He couldn't calm himself at the moment, let alone try to help anyone else.

"ENOUGH!" Jake's deep voice boomed through the chaos, rife with the authority of the Alpha. Every sound was cut off immediately, in Volterra and in La Push.

"I think that answers the question of whether or not Carlisle is genuinely evil," Jake stated into the silence. "Jane, I think Edward will behave if you put him back together. He might actually have something useful to contribute, now that his hero has been exposed as a fraud. We also still don't know what any of this has to do with Bella."

Jane came forward, and began the process of reattaching Edward's head. While she did that, Rose addressed Jake's last statement.

"We were not told why Bella is important. We didn't even know who we were waiting for until we met her. After we met her, Artemis and Heracles came back to us. They told us about the shield she had been blessed with, and to be especially careful, since that would be enticing to Carlisle. They told us that it was important that she was not changed yet. After Bella united with the kings, we were released from our task, and told to bring Edward and Esme to you so that Alice could not see them."

"Esme," Edward's voice was a little raspy, but clearing quickly. He nodded to Jane warily, then knelt down and took his foster-mother's hand. "Look at me, please."

Esme raised her eyes to his, and he saw the tortured soul she always tried to hide. The rest of the room waited, watching as the young vampire showed patience and understanding for the first time since they had arrived.

"Carlisle, even if he were to release the virus, could not cause the pandemic he threatened you with. There is a residual immunity in the population now, as well as antivirals that will lessen the effects of the illness. Plus, the CDC has completed its study on that strain of flu this year, and could very likely make a vaccine if they needed to. There is no need to worry."

He noticed the stunned look on the faces of the Quileute and shrugged self-consciously. "I have been to medical school twice, and enjoy keeping up with the latest developments. I look a little too young to actually be a licensed physician, though."

He turned back to Esme, who whispered her thanks for his information. "Mother, what else are you keeping hidden about Carlisle? Can you tell us? Or maybe just show me?" He winced as her hands squeezed his tightly. Horrifying images of countless beatings and abuses flooded his mind, beginning with that terrible day she first slipped, and ending just a few weeks ago.

Edward's eyes lost all traces of amber as rage and sadness flowed through him. He barely felt Esme let go as he roared his soul-deep feelings of anger and betrayal. Emmett stood, placing Esme behind him protectively, and readied himself to contain his coven-brother.

Jasper gasped at the intensity of Edward's emotions, but they were easily subdued, especially with the human blood he had just ingested. He pumped concern and love into Edward, until the younger vampire's eyes turned amber once more.

Edward placed his hand on Emmett's arm, asking him wordlessly to move. Then he gathered Esme up in his arms and rocked her, rubbing one hand up and down her back softly.

"I am so, so sorry. I know why you didn't tell anyone, but I wish I would have known. You are the strongest, most loving person I have ever met, and I am honoured that you think of me as your own. I am honoured to call you my mother."

Esme sobbed, collapsing against Edward, who sat with her curled into his lap. He looked at the others in the room, whose expressions ranged from understanding sympathy, to outright confusion. He caught Jasper's eye, and tipped his head toward the distraught female he held. Seconds later, she was completely relaxed and looked almost asleep. Then he began to speak.

"I am everything that you called me, Jane. Since the moment I was changed, Carlisle treated me as his golden child. I knew that I was favoured more than the rest – more even than Esme appeared to be. It has made me arrogant and self-important.

"This is what I have just learned: Esme has never know anything but abuse at the hands of the men who should care most for her. The beatings she suffered from her husband in her human life were bad enough, but the horrors she has endured for decades at the hands of Carlisle are beyond despicable. They are not mine to disclose, but he is everything you say he is," he looked at Jasper and Rose. "Everything and more. He held Esme with threats against human - as she told you – and also against me. She has loved me as her own, and he used that love to keep her quiet.

"Jacob, for some reason he had sought an alliance with the Quileute since before we moved here the first time. He taught us all to feed on animals so that the facade of goodness would secure him this alliance. He also thought it would help us to blend better in society, so that he could seek out humans with potential gifts."

Through the speakerphone, Aro's voice came through clearly. "This is not the Carlisle I knew, but it does not surprise me that he became this way. When one is so full of narrow-minded zeal, it is easy to manipulate them and lead them astray."

"But to what purpose?" Bella asked. "And how could he know about the wolves before even coming to Washington? It was his first time there, wasn't it?"

"He never mentioned travelling in the west, before then," Edward answered. "That was the first time we had been here since I was changed, but he had been in North America for quite a while before he changed me. He never did tell me when he arrived, but from bits and pieces over the years, I'd say he had been here since at least the early 1800s. Maybe even sooner."

"Then there was plenty of opportunities for him to have come this way," Old Quil said. "Especially if Aro was right, and his restraint is a gift. Animals were even more plentiful in that time, and he did not need to keep close to humans. He could have gone anywhere and everywhere. The history has no mention of him before Ephraim's time, but we do not record every encounter with a Cold One."

"We can sit here wondering all day, or we can finish this meeting and enjoy what is left of this holiday. The sisters and the rest of the coven are waiting to meet Bella." Aro was not accustomed to waiting for information. He usually just reached out his hand and took what he needed.

"I think it would be best to bring Jasper and Rosalie to Volterra with us, Master," Jane said. The two blond vampires nodded in eager acceptance. "Seth has told me the words of his spirits, and the looming threat is for us to conquer. It does not belong to the wolves. The issue here, it would seem, is what to do with Edward and Esme."

"The last thing Esme needs is to be in the middle of a confrontation, if what Edward has told us is true." Sue spoke up, looking at the vampire still held on Edward's lap. "And I also think she needs the care and compassion of a female, for once. Nothing I have heard suggests that she has ever had that."

Rosalie shook her head, feeling slightly ashamed. It had certainly never occurred to her that Esme would need that, even with her own terrible experience. She also was sure that Alice didn't have a single compassionate drop of venom in her veins.

Jake sighed. He was not sure how much help the tribe could be to a vampire who had spent all her time hiding, never glancing up or raising her voice above a whispering quaver. Yet something compelled him to ensure her comfort. "Then Edward will stay here also. It seems like it would be cruel to take him from her, and I don't think he'd be very welcome in Volterra, hey Bells?"

Bella chuckled as all three of her mates growled lowly, "No, Jake. He wouldn't be very welcomed at all. Sorry, Edward, but my mates would probably make what Jane just did to you seem like a paper cut."

Jasper choked back his amusement at her choice of words. If he was interpreting her words and tone correctly, it appeared that Bella believed that he had been protecting her. When he and Rosalie arrived in Volterra, he hoped he would be allowed to keep on doing just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that catches me up to June 9 :)


	24. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 

"That was interesting," Bella commented, when Aro hung up the phone. "We didn't really get an answer about what anything has to do with me though, did we?"

"We did not," Marcus agreed. "We will have to wait and see what Demetri finds. In the meantime, let us go meet the coven. This is also a good time to begin to find out what else has changed, beyond your eye colour and strength. We will test your durability later, under carefully controlled conditions, but let us see if your speed has increased."

Bella grinned, "In that case, I guess we'll be testing my balance and coordination, too. I'm sure that, before all of this, I could have somehow managed to trip even while lying down. Going faster will only increase the chances of face-planting, unless I got vampiric grace and reflexes."

"We will catch you if you trip, my darling. No matter how fast you are going, we will never let you fall." Caius linked his fingers with hers and led her out the door.

Aro darted past with a mischievous grin. "Catch me if you can, Bella!" he cried, darting down the hallway. Bella's eyes could follow his movement with ease, and she concluded that she would have no trouble keeping up with him. She squeezed Caius's hand quickly, before letting go and dashing after Aro with a laugh.

They arrived in front of a large set of double doors scant minutes later, Aro's happy laughter mingling in the air with the chime of Bella's giggles. Amused at their antics, Caius and Marcus ran up behind the two. The faces of all three kings held pride at their mate's increased speed, and newly-found agility. Indeed, Bella was as light on her feet as any vampire they had seen, seeming at times to glide along the floor as though she were riding the wind.

The quartet entered the throne room to find their coven gathered expectantly. The large chamber had been restored in the few days they had been gone, and four ornate velvet-cushioned armchairs had been set on the dais in place of the destroyed thrones.

Felix stood with Leah near the edge of the assembled group. They walked forward and greeted Bella, Leah pulling her into an uncharacteristically friendly hug. "I am so glad to see you!" the she-wolf whispered very quietly, hoping the vampires couldn't hear her. "Aside from Felix and Demetri, you're the only one who doesn't smell like I've been drowned in cotton candy soaked in caramel. At least the underlying bleach odour is gone."

Felix and Aro, who had been close enough to hear, coughed to hide their laughter.

"I apologize for taking Demetri away from you so soon after your arrival, Leah," Aro began. "I hope you three were able to have some time alone when you arrived. I understand Felix took you with him last night. Did you enjoy playing Santa?"

"We haven't really had much of a chance for all three of us to be together," Leah replied. "Between my jet lag and meeting the coven, there really wasn't time before you called him. It was really nice to go with Felix last night, though."

"My dear, we will have to ensure you have some time to yourselves. After we have introduced Bella here, Marcus and I will continue the search Demetri has started, while he spends time with you and Felix. I know Caius will want to check in on our prisoners. In the meantime, Felix, why don't you show your mate the gardens. The air out there is has a crisp freshness at this time of the year, and I'm sure she will appreciate its purity." Aro smirked at his large guard, and waved the two of them away.

Marcus placed his hand around Bella's waist, pulling her close to him, and addressed the rest of the vampires. "This is our mate, Bella Swan," he introduced. "Bella, this is our coven. Heidi, Renata, Santiago, Chelsea and her mate, Afton. They are our senior guards. Alec, you have met – he is one of the elite guards with Jane, Felix and Demetri."

He led her down the line to where three beautifully regal females stood together, watching them approach with wide smiles on their faces. The vampire with long black hair stepped forward, hands outstretched in welcome. When Bella extended her own arms, they were firmly gripped, and then she was pulled into yet another hug.

"We are so pleased to finally meet you!" the beauty exclaimed, pulling back and studying Bella intently. "I am Didyme, Aro's sister by birth. And these are my coven-sisters, Sulpicia and Athenodora."

At first, Bella was shocked at the warm welcome. Had Aro mentioned having a sister? She couldn't remember, although the name seemed familiar. These three vampires stood apart from the guards, and carried themselves with self-assurance and authority. As though they had more of a claim to this coven and place in this throne room, than anyone except the kings.

Bella stepped back to regard the three females. Didyme was a beautifully feminine incarnation of Aro. Daintily built, she had dimples when she smiled, and her red eyes shone with happiness.

Athenodora was a statuesque blond, whose hair was pulled back loosely, with ringlets tumbling riotously down her back. Her figure was slim, with a small bosom and narrow hips, and she held herself proudly.

Sulpicia could only be described as voluptuous, with an hourglass figure. Her dress molded itself to her ample breasts and tiny waist, and the rich indigo colour of the fabric complemented her titian hair and crimson eyes.

It occurred to Bella, then, where she had heard of Aro's sister before. Carlisle had said she was Marcus's mate! Of course, he had also said that she was dead. She remembered Marcus telling her about their long-time companions, when he sat with her in the bathroom to calm her down.

Bella's eyes narrowed slightly, as she moved to stand between her mates and the vampires who were quite obviously their former lovers. The female vampires were every bit as lovely as she had feared, and she did not want them in the same room as Aro, Caius and Marcus. These three examples of feminine grace and perfection had spent three millennia with her mates, and were still in the castle!

Athenodora's eyes widened as she heard Bella let out a low growl, and watched her eyes darken until they were nearly black. Backing up several steps, and hoping she did not make things worse, she spoke quickly to Caius.

"She's been changed? Caius, what is going on? Her heart beats still, but she is obviously thirsty!" She stopped when Bella hissed and drew closer to Caius. Immediately, her three mates surrounded her, each placing a hand on her body.

"Easy, amata," Marcus soothed. "We are here for you. Her change was unique," he continued speaking, keeping his eyes on Bella. "She is so much more than we are. Demetri has been instructed to find information."

"Aro, has she not been fed yet? Look at her! Her eyes are black," Sulpicia was just about to command a meal for the angry newborn, when Bella interrupted with a snarl.

"Don't talk about me while I'm standing right here!" Her tone was fierce. "Aro! Why are they here? I don't want them talking to you three. You're mine!"

Aro swallowed his pride at his mate's possessiveness and spoke softly to her, "Dearest," he asked, "does your throat hurt? Come, let us go and find you a meal."

Bella tried to swallow, and found she could barely do so. "It's dry, like it was before." She never took her eyes off the three females who had been to intimately familiar with the three brothers. In the back of her mind she knew she was being irrational, but she couldn't help herself. "And I just ate."

Caius moved swiftly, tossing his little mate over his shoulder before she knew what was happening. Ignoring her angry hisses, he strode from the room, calling orders as he went.

"You are all dismissed. Athenodora, Didyme, Sulpicia, thank-you for watching Volterra in our absence. I am sure Bella with greet you more cordially when we have taken care of her newborn needs. Evidently we have been remiss. The rest of you, go help Demetri, if you can. Except you, Alec. I want you to check on our two guests in the dungeon. I will be visiting them soon."

Marcus and Aro were at his heels as he continued to the kitchens with a spitting newborn held tightly over his shoulder. He stopped at the entrance to the kitchens and turned to Marcus.

"Would you see who in there is able to donate today, and then send the rest on their way? Bella!" he said sharply, as Marcus disappeared through the door. "You are thirsty. If you do not calm yourself you will end up draining someone. If you do not calm yourself, I will take you to our newborn quarters and you will be fed under supervision."

Aro glared at Caius. "There is no need for that, Caius. This is our fault for not at least offering her blood before we overwhelmed her with so many new vampires, especially with the sisters among them. Since waking she has been extremely controlled. Just have a little patience.

"Dearest," he stroked his hand down Bella's back, where she still struggled over Caius's shoulder. "Calm yourself. We are here, the three of us. We will not leave you. Calm yourself, and look around. There is no one else here. Marcus is just through those doors getting you some blood. Come to me, precious one." He lifted her to her feet, trapping her arms between their bodies. She hissed, but was beginning to listen to him. She sniffed the air before taking a quick inventory of the space around them. She did not see anyone else, just as Aro had said.

Ceasing her struggles, she looked up at her black-haired mate with tears swimming in her darkened eyes. "Aro, what's happening? I was fine, and then. And then. . . They are beautiful, Aro. And they had you before I did. Years and years and years! And I know I'm being unreasonable, but I can't help it. She was so nice, Aro. Your sister. But Carlisle said that Didyme was Marcus's mate. I know it's not true, but she was his, and he was hers, and they were yours. And you're mine. Mine!" Her heart was racing and she was panting in her agitation.

"Bella, you are thirsty. That is the reason you are feeling this way. We will tell you anything you wish to know about our former companions," he paused at Bella's growl, "after you have fed. But know this: We are yours. There will be no one but you, never, ever again. You are ours, and we are yours. No one else has any claim on us, no matter what happened before you came to us. Now, let us go into the kitchens and see which of our staff has been courageous enough to brave our feisty newborn mate."

He transferred her to his side, wrapping one arm firmly around her waist, and walking through the door. The castle kitchens were large, with commercial appliances, sparkling clean countertops, and a large wooden table set in a dining area. Seated at one of the chairs, was a portly man of middle years, wearing a large white apron. His arm was set over an old-fashioned bleeding bowl, and crimson liquid flowed from a cut at the crease of his elbow.

Marcus turned with a smile. "Bella, this is Lorenzo. He is the chef here, cooking for the live-in staff. Gardeners, housekeepers, and such. He will be providing your first meal. He is nearly done."

Lorenzo bowed his head, "It is an honour, my Lady, to do this for you. I hope I can provide you relief."

Bella eyes were dark, and her throat was dry, very dry. She had heard Edward talk about a burning thirst, but that was not the case with her. Mostly, she felt like she was having really bad PMS - total, uncontrollable hormonal shifts. If that meant she was thirsty, then she would whole-heartedly drink and hope that she could regain control again. She really didn't like feeling this way.

She leaned her head against Aro's arm. "Thank-you, Lorenzo," she responded, pushing all her will into sounding polite. "I hope I don't have to do this too often, but I am grateful to you for your generosity."

"There will always be someone willing, as often as you need, my Lady. Master Marcus has told us that you are their mate. The staff here is delighted, and we will assist you in any way we can." He pressed a cloth to his arm, bent his elbow, and stood slowly. Marcus passed him a muffin and ushered him out the door. Her mate returned seconds later, and poured the blood into a wide, silver chalice.

He passed the cup to Aro, who held it to Bella's lips. "Here, dearest, drink," he implored.

Bella inhaled, and her eyes widened. "It smells like toffee and chocolate." She tipped the cup back and drank greedily, but without spilling a drop. When she was finished, she let out a long sigh of contentment. "That was so much better than a five-dollar latte. If I could have Lorenzo every day, he would replace my morning coffee.

She heard a resounding laugh from the doorway, and she turned swiftly to find Lorenzo standing with a very amused Marcus. They chef's grin still split his face as his laughter died down.

"On the days when I cannot give you blood, my Lady, I will make sure to make a latte for you before your first meal. You have not had a proper coffee, until you have had coffee in Italy."

Marcus came to stand next to her. "I assume, amata, that you will not need more blood than this right now, although it is a pitiful amount for one so young. I have asked Lorenzo to see that you are given the same amount twice daily for the next little while. He will collect from our donors. Let us know if you ever need more."

Caius stepped closer to his mate, ignoring yet another glare from Aro. He could see now how small Bella's lack of control had been, but it had been several hundred years since they had deviated from their very effective way of handling a newborn. Newborn quarters in Volterra were stark, with a small transom window at the ceiling for light. The walls were smooth grey stone, and a newborn always had a single vampire responsible for them through their adjustment period. Meals were delivered through a wall slot at regular intervals, and there was no change in the surroundings until the newborn was ready. Colour, light, texture, sound and smells were introduced slowly, so that the new vampire was not overwhelmed. The responsible vampire would then start to escort the young one around areas that were carefully deserted. Other vampires were brought to meet the baby, and humans were added to the surroundings last. It was all carefully controlled, and produced a rational and well-behaved vampire in about ten months. Even then, the recently-turned were supervised until at least their second year. Slip-ups happened, but they were very, very rare.

Caius watched his mate with soft eyes. He had not wanted to train his Bella like that. He just saw an overwrought newborn, and hoped that the barren surroundings would help her to calm herself. They may well have, but he should have had more faith in Bella, and more patience. He could not blame Aro for being angry.

"Are you feeling better, my darling?" he asked gently. "I am sorry I was impatient."

"It seems to me, Caius, that that is just the way you are," Bella softened the words with a hand on his cheek. "Just as Aro seems to be a bit of a geek, who makes odd references to. . . what was it? Oh, 'chain-mail clad super-heroines'. And Marcus seems to be your opposite, with a never-ending supply of patience. But next time, could you try to remember that I don't like being ordered around? I've never really had to answer to anyone, my parents being the way they are, and it has made me quite independent. I am feeling better, thank-you."

Caius pulled her in for a hug. "I will try to remember. The loss of control you just exhibited was the only sign of a normal newborn reaction you have had. I guess I was thinking that it was just the beginning. I will not again forget that you are unique in this life, and should not be treated like any other." He sighed, relieved, when he felt a kiss softly placed against his chest.

Bella turned to Marcus. "I'd like to meet the ladies again. I heard Caius say he wanted to visit the dungeons. I don't want to go down there. Maybe I can try again now that I'm feeling more myself?"

"Perhaps it would be better if there were just one of us with you," he suggested. If you felt the same way you did before, then at least you would only have to watch out for one of us, instead of all three. I could go with you, or Aro could. The decision is yours."

"Didn't you tell Leah that you would give her some time with Demetri, Aro? Why don't you do that, and Marcus can come with me? That's OK, right?"

"Entirely OK, dearest," Aro smiled. "Enjoy your time with Didyme and the others. They will not think anything of the earlier encounter – it was entirely our fault and they know it. Caius and I will come to you in a couple of hours. The live-in human staff have Christmas Day lunch here each year. We will escort you and introduce you to them. They will be happy to meet you."

With that, Aro and Caius left, and Marcus took Bella to meet their former companions once more.


	25. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

New Year's Day dawned with a barely perceptible increase of light in the skies over La Push. It had been snowing heavily since the day before, and the clouds were still dark overhead.

Jacob rolled over in his bed and sat up with a groan. He missed regular sleeping hours, and the luxury of sleeping in, but phasing had pretty much put a stop to both those things. Patrols were run around the clock, and as a shifter he seemed to be able to function fully on just a few hours of rest a day.

But he still wished that he could at least have one day of lazing about. Alas, today was not that day. Seth and Jane were leaving with Rose, Jasper and Emmett tomorrow, and the pack would be having a farewell dinner tonight. With all the snow, the path to the beach would have to be cleared, as well as an area for the bonfire. Jake also wanted to talk with Jasper once more before the vampire left. The young man got out of bed, washed and dressed himself, and sat down to a large bowl of cereal, thinking about the last week.

After the meeting had broken up on Christmas Eve, Old Quil had surprised everyone by insisting Edward stay with him. The tribe's shaman had lived with his daughter-in-law and grandson until the younger Quil phased. He had recently returned to the small dwelling he kept for himself. It was a place where he meditated, prayed, and chanted over the sick. It held all his herbs, his written records of important tribal events, and items sacred to his role within the tribe.

Old Quil had observed the teenaged vampire closely during the meeting. He was spoiled, selfish and controlling, but intelligent and compassionate. His gentle handling of his mother-figure was indicative of a good soul. The vampire, Old Quil was sure, could be the true version of what Carlisle Cullen always claimed to be - entirely humane, good, selfless, and caring. He just needed to be guided to a better path. Old Quil was determined to be his guide.

Edward was surprised when the Quileute elder had allowed him into the reasons behind the invitation. Carlisle's thoughts had always been full of possessive pride for his first son; until this very night Edward had been sure those feelings from his vampire sire had been rooted in love, but now he wondered. Now, knowing that his sire could control what Edward heard, the teenager dissected every thought he could ever remember Carlisle having. He began to realize that he was mistaken. It was not love that coloured Carlisle's thoughts, but an obsession with a darker edge. Edward blamed himself for not seeing it before.

Old Quil's thoughts, on the other hand, were brutally honest about his disappointment in Edward, and his disgust for the teenaged vampire's behaviour. But Old Quil had such faith in the goodness of Edward's underlying character that it made the boy want to live up to that standard. The shaman's thoughts were not obsessive, not dark or controlling. Instead, they were of one person truly concerned with the redemption of another. Edward decided that he would learn everything the elder had to teach him, and took his small bag of belongings with him to Old Quil's home.

Jake had been less than thrilled at the development. He would not argue with the shaman, but he was not convinced that Edward was not dangerous. Unfortunately, only time would tell, and the bronze-haired vampire would have to prove himself over and over again. Jake's only comfort had been Jasper's assertions that Edward was honestly good underneath his many flaws.

Jake had met with the empath on a daily basis in the last week, always seeking reassurance that Edward was still safe. Well, as safe as a vampire could ever be, at least. The wolf had even accompanied them both hunting in Seattle once. Jasper had spent quite a while finding his meal, rejecting people that even Jake wanted to hurt. In the end the two vampires had taken down a clean-cut, middle-aged business man – someone Jake would never have suspected to be heading to Asia to yet again solicit an unwilling sexual encounter.

Jasper could tell he was evil, and Edward knew exactly how that evil manifested. It took a little more work to cover up the killing, but in the end even Jake's wolf was satisfied. Edward had been a lot more relaxed since that day. The pack and elders were able to observe first-hand just how damaging an animal diet could be.

Shaking off his thoughts as he finished his cereal, Jake put his dish in the sink and pushed his feet into his boots. He didn't really care if his body melted the snow on contact; it was still uncomfortable to go barefoot in the snow. And a little ridiculous, to his mind. He didn't need lined boots, heavy jackets, or thermal underwear, but it was more comfortable to be warm and dry than it was to be warm and wet.

He headed out toward the Clearwater home. Sue and Harry's felt like vampire central right now. With the exception of Edward, every vampire on the rez was located there. Jane and Seth's relationship was progressing with the sweet sedate pace of an age past. They were innocently physical, and quietly loving, and Sue had been seen smiling whimsically whenever she saw them together.

Rosalie and Emmett were gone together more often than not. The large vampire had been subdued since the meeting, and Rosalie knew she had a great deal to make up for. She wondered if she had given her mate enough credit, and she was beginning to think she hadn't. They had been spending a lot of time in the deep woods, talking together, and hunting. Emmett still loved her as much as ever, but it would take a while to get over his hurt.

They had decided to wait until they reached Italy to switch to human blood. A week wouldn't make much difference, and they felt more comfortable with the idea of donated blood. There was not a large enough pool of people in La Push to donate for all the vampires. So they continued to hunt, looking forward to the day when they wouldn't have to.

Jasper was spending all his time monitoring either Edward or Esme, and reporting to Jake and the Elders about the two troubled vampires. Edward was doing well at Old Quil's, especially when his hunger was finally satisfied.

Esme, though, had not been seen outside the Clearwater house since Sue had wrapped an arm around her shoulders after the meeting and ushered her away. Like a child waking from a bad dream, she had clung to the comfort Sue offered. For the first few days, she didn't say much, keeping her head down and her arms wrapped around herself. She flitted from the room whenever a pack member dropped by, thoroughly unnerved by the large shifters.

Jasper knew that Esme would come around soon. Right now, she was a whirlwind of conflict. Fear, anger, longing, uncertainty, and a burgeoning hope, contentment and eagerness cycled through her psyche. She was safe, and she knew it, but she was having a hard time believing it.

The biggest help for Esme had come the day that Emily and Kim had decided to spend time with her and Sue. The three humans had persuaded the traumatized vampire to help them with some post-Christmas baking, and Esme flourished in the female company. Since that day, the imprints had stopped by every day. They had even donated blood to the vampire matriarch, much to the chagrin of Sam and Jared.

Reaching his destination, Jake raised his hand to knock, only to stop when he heard unfamiliar laughter inside. Like windchimes, the clarion sound was at once soothing and uplifting. His heart stuttered in his chest, and he could not help the smile that appeared on his lips. He didn't know why Esme, for he was sure the laugh came from her, had such an affect on him, but he was starting to suspect. Although he had never met her eyes, it was hard for him to stay away from this house, even if the female fled at his approach.

When Taha Aki had told him that he would know when it was time to seek out his imprint, Jake never suspected that the time would come so soon, or that she would come to him. He thought he would have to spend time searching her out. Instead, it seemed like he would be doing the seeking within the very walls of the house he stood in front of. It also appeared that it would take time to solidify the bond he was sure would be between Esme and him.

Jake wasn't sure what to do. He very much wanted to meet the vampire's eyes, but short of forcibly restraining her, he could not get her to stay in the same room with him or any of the shifters, even Seth. He needed to talk with Jasper, and the Elders. Wondering why everything had to be so complicated, he sighed, and then knocked at the door.

Jane opened the door with a smile on her face. The Volturi guard had become a lot more friendly in the time she spent in La Push, although she still had no patience for what she called 'idiotic mindsets'. Jake doubted she would ever get along with Edward.

"Good morning, Jake," Jane greeted. "If you are here for Jasper, he has already gone to see Old Quil. But come in; there is food ready, and even if you have already eaten, I know you will want more."

"Morning, Jane." Jake entered the house, removing his boots, and taking off his sweater, leaving him in a thin T-shirt and jeans. "Smells good in here. What did you make me?" he asked with a teasing grin. Jane could not cook to save her life.

"Hey, I'll have you know I made biscuits today, and they don't even suck, according to Seth. Sue has been teaching me a few things, and says that Esme's food is amazing. She made something called eggs benedict – with the biscuits I made. You're lucky I like you too much to zap you for mocking me."

"I appreciate your restraint, tiny blood drinker," Jake pulled Jane's pony-tail lightly, laughing when she smacked his stomach.

"Hey, hands off my imprint, or she'll kick your ass." Seth was sitting at the table, polishing off the last of his food.

Jake stopped when he saw Esme at the stove, pouring Hollandaise over the eggs benedict ready on a clean plate. This was the first time she had stayed with shifters in the room. He wasn't sure whether to say hi, or pretend she wasn't around. He decided to let her make the first move, and sat down next to Seth.

"Shouldn't it be you who kicks my ass? Seems a little unfair to make Jane do it," Jake stole a piece of bacon from the tray in the middle of the table.

"Nah," Seth mumbled, with his mouth full. Swallowing at a narrow gaze from Jane, he continued. "She's way more effective at it than I am. Plus, you could always Alpha order me to stop. She doesn't have to listen to you." The boy looked entirely too pleased at his reasoning.

"It's a good thing Jane likes me, then, isn't it?" Jake said.

"I tolerate you," she corrected. "And only cause Seth likes you and you don't smell too bad."

Jake laughed. Try as she might, he'd never believe that Jane only tolerated the pack. She was far too protective, and far too helpful, and he knew that she adored Sue.

The Alpha stilled when a pale, trembling hand set a plate of food in front of him. It looked delicious and he wanted to dive right in, but he refused to allow any hurried movement to startle the vampire next to him.

"Thank-you, Esme," he said softly, "This looks amazing." He so badly wanted to set his hand over hers, but placed it on his lap instead.

Esme shuddered at the deep timbre of Jake's voice. She wasn't sure why, but of all the shifters, including Seth, she felt most comfortable when Jake was around. Conversely, she also felt the most intimidated by him. The boy was large and radiated authority. It had taken a lot of conversation with Jasper to gather the courage to stay downstairs when Seth, and then Jake, made their appearance this morning.

Flitting back to the stove, Esme struggled to find something to say. He'd thanked her for the food, and it felt rude to keep silent.

"You're welcome," she practically whispered, her back still turned to him. "Sue went shopping this morning to get groceries for the farewell tonight. I figured I'd make breakfast for Seth while she was gone. I expected you'd be around soon. You're here every morning. It was nothing to make more."

Jake quivered with happiness, both at the timid words, and the admission that she had thought about him. Deciding that he wasn't going to wait, he cut a glance at Seth and Jane, motioning them out of the room with a jerk of his head. Thankfully, neither one protested as they quietly left. Jake was sure they wouldn't leave the house, but out of the room was far enough.

"Esme," Jake started. He made his voice as gentle as he could. "Can I ask you something? To do something for me, I mean? I won't hurt you; I promise."

"Oh! I didn't offer you anything to drink!" Jake saw Esme take an unneeded breath and hold it, clearly bracing herself for something. "I'm so sorry. That was thoughtless of me," she went on. "Would you like some coffee? There's also milk or juice."

"No, no. It's not that. I can get my own if I need to." Standing, Jake walked slowly toward the pale female, watching her tense the closer he got. He stopped an arm's length away, and gave her time to adjust to his presence. When her shoulders relaxed, he slowly lifted his hand, placing it underneath her chin and bringing her face up. He waited, anticipation nipping at his soul, until she lifted her eyes to meet his warily.

In an instant, his world exploded in a million pieces, and just as quickly reassembled itself around her. In that moment, he became everything she needed, even if she did not know it yet. And according to Taha Aki, she was everything he needed.

He needed to talk to Jasper. He wanted to know how he could help his imprint. She had nothing to be afraid of, and would never again experience a violent hand or a voice raised in anger. Not as long as he had breath in his body. But he wasn't sure how to progress the relationship.

"Damsels in distress," he thought to himself. "It's always Jake and a damsel in distress. Maybe the spirits sent me to help Bella as a lead-up to Esme. At least now I have a little practice with broken females. Although I doubt I can handle Esme the same way I handled Bella. She's far too fragile right now for that, I think."

With the barest of caresses to a pale marble cheek, Jake thanked the shaking female, and sat down to finish his breakfast quickly. His next stop was definitely Old Quil's.

********

 

Jake and Jasper walked purposefully along one of the many paths in the forest made by patrolling wolves. In the denser parts of the forest, the thick canopy kept much of the snow off the ground, and the two supernatural being held their tongues until they were in the thickness of trees, well away from any patrols. They slowed their pace, strolling leisurely along. Jasper sensed Jake's unease and also a deep joy and abiding love. The unease was not unusual for the Alpha, but the other two emotions were new.

"What happened, Jake?" He decided just to ask. "I figured you'd come talk to me about Edward today, but I can feel something else today. You're happy."

"I imprinted this morning," Jake said.

"Congratulations," Jasper replied. "So why are you out here with me, instead of celebrating with her?"

Jake blew out a breath. "I imprinted on Esme." He expected the look of shock that crossed Jasper's face and went on. "I've kind of been expecting it, to be honest. I've been feeling pulled to her, even though she'd never looked at me. I've been wanting to make sure she's comfortable and safe, and can't settle my mind down for the day until I've been to the Clearwater's. Even if she hid every time I was there.

"Today she made breakfast, and stayed, even though Seth and I were both there. She served me, and I couldn't take it any more. I had to know that what I felt, what I suspected, was real. So I touched her, brought her eyes to mine. She is my mate, Jasper. My world. And I don't know what to do, how to act. I don't know how to get her to stay in the room with me, or how to show her that there is more of a chance of me slitting my own throat than there is of me hurting her."

Jasper cocked his head, studying Jake intently. "I can see it," he finally said. "You and Esme. I can totally see it. You are one of the gentlest, most open-minded beings I have ever come across. But you are also an Alpha shifter. You can love her, and keep her safe. She needs both.

"I suggest you not tell her just yet. I wouldn't be surprised if the mere mention of a mate terrifies her. And I can't really blame her for that; her previous experience with males is horrifying. But I do think you should start to act like her mate, at least a little. Ask to see her, or ask her to stay in the room instead of leaving. Esme has been controlled her entire existence. Part of her fear and uncertainty right now is because, for the first time ever, she is able to do exactly what she wants without reprisal. She doesn't know what to do with that kind of freedom.

"Don't order her around, but do give her something to do. Asking for her company will make her feel wanted and useful. And you can get to know each other. Esme is a very loving, very gentle soul. She will lose herself to try to please someone, so make sure she does things with other people. Kim, Emily and Sue have been exactly what she needs right now.

"Did you know she was twenty-six when she was turned?" Jake shook his head and Jasper continued. "She had just lost her baby - he was only a few weeks old – and was married to an abusive man. She jumped from a cliff in her grief and hopelessness.

"Carlisle told us that he found her in the morgue; she was so badly damaged that the doctors wouldn't have been able to fix her, so they left her there to die. That's when he changed her. He had known her before, when she was about your age, and he knew what kind of man her husband was. I think that's why he changed her. He knew that she would be, for lack of a better term, easily influenced. Pliable to his will."

Jake was growling in a vicious, steady rhythm. Jasper laid a soothing hand on his arm and went on. "The point is that she has been through a great deal, but in her heart, she is a woman with so much love. She will not be your mother, Jake, or mother to your pack, but she will be a strong and nurturing Alpha's mate. She will care for your pack and their offspring as though they belonged to her. She just needs to feel loved and safe for the first time in her existence. And you maybe need to be a little older before your relationship deepens." Jasper's smirked lightly.

"She is loved and safe," Jake said. "And will be loved and safe for the rest of eternity. This I swear to you." He clasped Jasper's hand and brought him forward for a quick man-hug and shoulder-pat.

"Now," he changed the subject, "let's talk about Edward."


	26. Interlude IV - Reaction & Relationships. Part I: Reactions

Interlude IV: Reactions & Relationships

Part I: Reactions

Carlisle was in a foul mood as he walked into his home after his shift. The culmination of all his plans, all his Mistress's plans was fast approaching, and he found that humans were becoming harder and harder to tolerate. Today he had a stinking, fat, alcoholic slob nearly die in the ER. Heart and liver problems. Shocking. Humans weren't worth anything beyond the blood in their bodies, and most of them knew that, deep down.

Carlisle had saved him, of course. He always tried to save them. It was important to keep up appearances. He had a chance to interact extensively with so many humans while he masqueraded as the benevolent doctor. He was always on the lookout for another Edward, but his efforts had been fruitless since he turned the mind reader. 

He cursed Edward, and himself, for not changing the Swan girl, for leaving her behind. Only Alice's visions of a heartbroken, easily manipulated shell of the human they knew kept him from returning for her just days after they left. He always enjoyed broken minds and shattered spirits. Alice had done well bringing Jasper to him. Esme, of course, had been easily broken, and he relished the memory of her trembling at his feet, scarred and cracked.

When the time came for his coven to join his Mistress, he was certain the only problem would come from Rosalie and Emmett. He should have torn them apart decades ago, but they were so good for his image.

Only Alice knew why he worked so hard to raise his coven the way he did. They were pawns, nothing more. Yes, he hoped that they would want to join him in the end, but he would cheerfully see them all ashes if it meant destroying the filthy mutts in La Push. Not their bodies, but their spirits. Tearing their very souls apart and sending them to the underworld to gnash and wail for an eternity.

It was no less than they deserved.

There had been barely half a million people in the colonies when Carlisle first arrived in what had been called the New World, very early in the 1700s. He had landed in Boston, then the largest city, after several weeks of rolling seas. He had never minded animal blood, no matter how hard Aro had tried to persuade him otherwise, but even he was sick of drinking from rats by the time the ship docked. There were always rats on ships.

He hadn't stayed very long in the populated parts of this wild new land. Instead, he had travelled, through plains, valley, and mountains, enjoying an endless and varied selection of wildlife. He had felt free and almost happy for the first time since his change. His perception of himself as a monster had changed, until he recognized that he was so much more than a human. Faster. Stronger. Smarter. Superior in every way.

He would help them. Stregoni Benefici, Benevolent Wizard – that's what the Italians had called him. He could be more than that here. Respected. Beloved. Perhaps even revered. There was no shortage of strife and misery in the New World.

So he began to seek out turmoil. He found he had a particular affinity for medicine, and he used it. Every soldier who thanked him for tending a battlefield injury; every mother who wept joyfully, kissing his hand in thanks for healing her sick child; every farmer, every slave, every single time a human looked at him with gratitude and awe was stored away for him to savour. Detecting illnesses by a blood-scent, cutting with more delicacy and greater efficiency than a feeble human. He discovered that a minute amount of venom could prevent infection without triggering the change, and people miraculously survived the unsurvivable. He felt God-like, healing things that no one else could.

He was on top of the world, travelling through Ohio when he found his mate. She was a young, beautiful Shawnee woman, just about ready to take a husband. He had seen her as she gathered berries with the other women of the tribe. Ignoring the driving urge to take her, mark her and turn her, he instead watched.

For a week he studied the tribe, learning what he could of their language and their ways. Then, one cloudy day, he revealed himself, hoping to initiate peaceful contact. He was, after all, beloved by everyone who met him. These humans could surely be no different.

His appearance caused panic and chaos. Distrustful of white men already, women had pulled children inside their dwellings, and men in breechclouts and legging shook weapons at him. His smiles and kindly words in their language had not allayed their suspicions, but they did stop yelling at him to leave, choosing to wait for their Chief instead.

The imposing Indian leader arrived with the tribe's shaman. Before the Chief could even greet Carlisle, the shaman had jumped to the front, gesticulating wildly and calling out to Grandmother to aid him in warding off the evil spirit threatening the tribe. The rest of the gathered people had backed away, allowing the old man to chant his protections and pleas.

Nothing Carlisle could say would convince the superstitious old fool that he was not an evil spirit. Finally, in desperation, he had cried out that he only wanted Chepi. He would leave with her, and never return.

Chepi, his beautiful, young mate, had been dragged, terrified, from the shelter she had hidden in, and thrown at his feet. The shaman had declared their bargain struck, and he had been ordered off their land.

In that moment he could happily have slaughtered the entire village, down to the last child. The other half of his soul had been discarded like trash, and only concern for her, and a deep desire to provide comfort and not add to her fear had saved her tribe that day.

Gathering Chepi up in his arms, softly uttering words of love and reassurance, he had left quickly. He had not turned her right away, choosing to allow her some years to mature before taking her to his bed and blessing her with an existence of deific immortality. It had taken some time for her fear of him to abate, but the pull of mates was strong, even in her human form. 

In the ensuing years, Carlisle's eyes were opened to the true nature of man. Narrow-minded bigotry met him and his beloved everywhere. Even human, she was still shunned. And where he was welcomed before, among the european settlers, he was now derided; his good intention rejected, simply because his Chepi was dusky instead of pale skinned. When they tried to approach other Indian people, he was always met with fear and hostility, as an evil spirit. He didn't understand why they never gave him an opportunity to prove himself.

Eventually, Carlisle tired of trying to fit in with a species so much lower than he, and he and Chepi resumed travelling. He provided for her while she was still human, and turned her in the wilds of what was now Montana. He still remembered the exact spot.

They spent her newborn year, and many years afterward, hunting and making love, far from the smallness of the human mind. They travelled west, enjoying the ever-changing landscape, until Chepi expressed a desire to see the ocean.

That is where they encountered the Quileute, and where Carlisle's life ended, and his soul was consumed with an unquenchable thirst for vengeance.

He had left his sweet, gentle mate on an outcropping of rock. Her face was filled with wonder as she breathed in the vastness of the ocean. He was just going to go get them a meal, he had told her. He promised he would not be long; she could sit as long as she wanted to, watching the endless water. He had not smelled humans nearby. The only scents on the air were of herbivores, the damp rot that permeated the moist soil, and the rangy odour of wild wolves. Chepi wasn't fond of wolves, so he ranged farther into the mountains, to see if he could catch a cougar or a bear for her.

He was barely gone an hour when his soul was ripped from his body, and his heart died a second time. Even though he knew that it was too late, he raced back to where he had left his mate. That was the first time he saw the Shifters. Some human, some wolf, all standing around the purple ash, all that was left of his heart and soul.

His cry of rage echoed over the open water, and through the forests. Children in the village miles away cried in fear, and their mothers shushed them while trembling themselves. Carlisle watched as the human men became wolves, turning their menacing gaze to him before giving chase.

Carlisle had always been able to suppress his darker vampiric nature. That day was no exception. He had known he was outnumbered, and though he wanted to end his existence with the death of Chepi, his need to destroy everything connected with her killers was stronger. He could not do it now, but one day he would. It did not matter how long. One day the Quileute and everything they stood for, everything they loved would perish. He swore it by his very soul.

Cutting into his flesh with his nails and yanking out his dead heart, he returned to the place in Montana where he had turned Chepi. Tossing the useless organ into a fire, he dropped to his knees, pleading to anyone who would listen for help. For revenge. Justice for his young mate. Every human who had ridiculed them, tossed them aside, glared at them; every tear Chepi had ever cried in her loneliness for human companionship flashed through his head. The human faces of the Shifters burned into his memory, and in that moment Carlisle was ready to scorch the earth, salt the fields, and poison the oceans.

From the smoldering ashes of the fire in which his undead heart burned, the spirit Mormo rose up, ephemeral in the dancing smoke. She spoke her own message of hate into his heart, showing him a future where humans cowered as their veins were drained, blood was wrung from their spleens and marrow sucked from their bones.

She would see his justice met, if he was patient. She could not touch the world yet, but the time would come when she would rise up with her sisters and the waters of the world would turn to blood. He saw an ancient prophecy, foretelling the demise of the Volturi, inferior vampires, too weak and tame to be allowed to live. Their end was the will of the goddess Hekate, and of Mormo herself, mother to all vampires on the mortal plane.

Mormo had left the fate of the shifters in Carlisle's hands before she faded away.  
***___***

“Esme,” Carlisle called, angry that she was not at the door to meet him. He had taught her the importance of an overt show of submission whenever he appeared. She should be taking his things, even as she welcomed him.

There was no answer to his summons; no sound in the house at all. Swallowing his ire and tempering his thoughts, Carlisle put down his bag and shed his jacket as he began to search the house.

With each empty room he became more enraged. He noticed things missing that should not have been. When he saw the empty space in his room that had held a small, framed picture of Esme and her baby, he bellowed in outrage. How dare she leave him!?

“Alice!” he screamed, as venom dropped from his lips. His eyes were black and his hands curled into talons. “Edward! Jasper! Rosalie! Emmett!”

His head whipped around to the attic entrance. He had heard a whimper. Tearing the door from its hinges, he flashed into the rarely-used space, quickly finding Alice huddled in a corner, holding her head in her hands and rocking back-and-forth.

“Blind, blind, blind, blind!” Her voice started low and increased to a wail at the end. She looked up at him, stark panic in her eyes. “I can't See! Gone, gone, gone, gone! They are gone! All gone! Gone, gone, gone, and I can't See!” She ran her nails down from her eyes to her jaw, scratching deep fissures in her skin. “Blind, blind, blind, blind, blind!”

With a feral roar, Carlisle picked up the tiny female by the knees and shoulders, levering her over his head before hurling her through the beams of the roof and out into the yard. He jumped through the hole, following her trajectory and catching her before she hit the ground, slamming her into it with as much force as he could.

“You were sent to help me! Hekate gave you to me because your visions could help me decide my course and ensure that it came to be! What use are you if you can no longer See? Where were you when the rest of my coven disappeared? How could you let Esme escape!? She knows! She is the only one of them who knows my true nature! What if Edward caught it from her mind, finally?

Taking an unneeded breath, he calmed himself. “You have not received even the smallest glimpse of them? No indication of what happened?”

He grimaced as Alice shook her head. “Very well. Clean yourself up; we are going to Denali. The Mistress will want to be informed in person. She is not the forgiving sort, but she never had much use for anyone in our coven anyway.

“But Alice,” Carlisle's voice became a dark menace, “if for any reason, this damages my standing with the Shifters, I will see you burn for a thousand years. You know our plan. They are not to realize that helping us eradicate the Volturi will allow us to decimate the world and enslave the humans. They are not to realize the destruction that they, who call themselves Protectors, with help unleash until it is too late.

“They will be the weapon I wield, and when the last spec of Volturi ash has blown away in the wind, and I have torn the throat from every last human in La Push, the Shifters will finally have paid for the death of my mate.

 

***********__________________***************_______________

Emmett left the council hall as soon as the meeting ended. He didn't think he could stand to talk to anyone right now. He had been lied to and betrayed his entire immortal life, and the worst part about it was that his mate clearly did not trust him.

Did his Rosie really think that little of him? He had been pleased when she made clear to Jane that she was his – insisting on being referred to as McCarty, rather than Cullen. But as the evening progressed, and he heard the enormity of the situation, he began to feel low. Unworthy. Untrusted. Unwelcomed.

Rose was an agent of Gods. Gods. They had appeared to her, helped her, and entrusted to her a task that was evidently more important than she figured he could handle.

OK, so he could understand that he usually came across as a little irresponsible. He was light-hearted and rarely took things seriously. But Rose should know better. They had spent time together away from the family – time when he had listened to her pour out her anger and resentment about this existence. When she had let out her hurt and her grief, remembering her human life and the horrors of her death. He had been there for her!

And Bella, who he had loved like a little sister. A clumsy, soft, foolish child who he loved to tease. He supposed it was a little like pulling pigtails on a playground. He could remember doing that as a human boy. Bella was so enamored with Edward, so wrapped up in pleasing him and Alice, that if Emmett hadn't called attention to himself, she would never have looked at him with those deep brown eyes and shyly pleased smile. And he would never have gotten to know a wonderful person. In retrospect, he may have gone a little overboard at times, but it was never with malicious intent.

Regardless, he had loved her, and loved her still. Rose knew that; she knew how protective Emmett felt. Yet, even though she knew how important it was to ensure Bella's safety, even when she knew that the human he looked at as a sister was in danger from vampires he implicitly trusted, Rose still did not bring him into her confidence.

“Emmett, wait!” he heard Rosalie's soft call behind him, and turned around to snarl at her.

“I'm going hunting, Rosalie. You've had seventy years to get used to the idea of lying to your mate,” he didn't care that she winced at that statement. “At least give me tonight. Leave me alone.”

Rose choked back a sob, “OK, Em, that's fair. But please come back to me. I want to try to explain, although I'm not sure I can. But there are other things you deserve to know.”

“Fine. I'll be back sometime tomorrow.” With that, he turned towards the mountains, prepared to run off. Her voice stopped him once more.

“Don't go to the house here. We don't want them to know we were here if we can help it. And stay away from any landmarks Alice would recognize if she Saw.”

Emmett nodded his head curtly, and disappeared into the forest.

________********__________

“How is animal blood different for you than human blood?” Charlie asked Rosalie.

They were sitting in the Clearwater living room, with Harry, Billy and Jane. Esme and Sue were talking quietly together in Leah's old room. Sue was doing most of the talking, but Jane could hear the occasional response from the vampire. She could also hear Seth's heartbeat, slow and steady in his sleep, coming from his room.

“I don't know. I've never tasted human blood.” It was late on Christmas Day, and Emmett still hadn't returned. Rose knew that their mate-bond would bring him back, but he was already gone longer than she thought he would be. It was the first Christmas they had ever spent apart, and she didn't like it.

Rosalie's statement was met by Jane's look of utter disgust, and incredulous silence by Sue, Harry and Billy.

“Not once? I was given to understand that all the Cullens, except Carlisle had strayed from time to time.” Charlie was giving serious consideration to being turned, and hoped he could gather as much information as he could before any permanent decision was made. He couldn't very well get a 'vegetarian' perspective from the Volturi, so he figured he'd ask these vampires before they left. He didn't really want to talk with Edward, and the mother, Esme, wasn't talking with any of the humans or shifters, with the exception of Sue.

“I wouldn't really say that Esme or Emmett strayed,” Rosalie clarified. “Any time they killed a human, it really was an accident. Emmett had two singers – people with blood so ideally suited to a particular vampire that it is nearly impossible to resist. I would have said impossible, before Edward managed to resist Bella, who was his singer.

“Jasper would probably be the best to ask about the difference; he had an exclusive human-blood diet until he was sent to meet Alice. Edward could probably also tell you about it, but his experience would be so tainted with self-loathing that you might not get a true perspective. He is the one to whom the word 'strayed' would apply, as he made a conscious choice to change his diet, for a time.

“But I have not once tasted human blood. I didn't even lick my fingers when I carried Emmett, bleeding to death, back to Carlisle to be changed. It was not easy, but I was tasked to watch Carlisle, and it seemed the best way to be above suspicion was to be in complete control. I look forward to switching, although I won't until we get to Italy.”

“Why not?” Billy asked.

“I don't really want to play judge, jury and executioner to some random person off the street. I already did that for the men who violated me. That was enough for me.

“And most of you have already given Jasper a meal. You wouldn't be able to provide for all of us. Jasper and I talked last night. We will wait. Volterra has the human infrastructure that we require. And Emmett. . .” she broke off as he and Jasper walked into the house.

“Will also wait,” the large vampire finished, looking at his wife, coldness still shining in his eyes. “If you all will excuse us now, Rose and I need to talk.”

Nobody said a word as the couple disappeared into the winter darkness.  
_____*****_____*****

The mated pair sat some distance apart, staring at the way the moonlight filtered through the clouds and glistened off the ocean's waves. Above the clouds, hidden from even vampire sight, the big dipper rotated in the night sky until, finally, Rosalie spoke softly over the water's sound.

“I have a gift.” She shifted her body to face Emmett's, bringing her knees up to wrap her arms around them. His face remained facing the ocean, but she knew he was listening. “What I want to stay private, does. It's the reason Edward never knew what I was really doing. He could only hear my unimportant thoughts. Artemis told me about it while she was helping me with Royce and the rest.”

“And what about Jasper?”

“My gift extends to him. I've been thinking about you since we met Bella, Em. I wasn't fair to you. You were such an excitable newborn, and until Jasper showed up, I didn't realize that I could protect other people. It was too important to let my feelings for you cloud my judgment.”

“I haven't been around newborns, but I remember my first year, so I can understand that, Rose. But what about later? Do you really think I'm so irresponsible? So untrustworthy? Why couldn't you let me know what was going on when you knew you could cover my thoughts? Or when Bella was in danger? You know how much she means to me!” He raised his voice at the end, hurt clear in his tone.

“I wasn't sure I could cover you!” Rose shouted. “It was not conscious with Jasper. I knew that he had been sent to help me; Artemis told me. I trusted him!” 

Emmett jumped up with a wounded roar, “I knew it! Nice, Rosalie. Thank-you very much!” He turned and punched the boulder he had been leaning against, pulverizing it.

“Look at yourself, Emmett! You don't think before you act, or speak half the time. You just destroyed a very large piece of the landscape on First Beach. It's not going to go unnoticed. Even if I could protect your thoughts, how could I trust that you wouldn't say anything? How could I trust that you wouldn't act differently?

“If I had to do it over, I would have told you the first time we went away after Jasper joined us. You could have used that time to get used to everything. You're not dumb, Emmett. I know that. I shouldn't have underestimated you.

“But it was too late once we met Bella. You know you wouldn't have handled it well. She got hurt, Em; she nearly died. It had to happen that way. I didn't like it, either, but that's what I was told. It had to happen. You wouldn't have let it. I couldn't tell you,” she ended with a whisper.

“Some of that may be true, Rose,” Emmett frowned as he looked at the shattered boulder. “But it doesn't erase the fact that my own mate doesn't trust me. That she kept secrets from me since the second we met. How am I supposed to feel about that? How are we supposed to move on from this?”

Rose was silent for a long while. “I don't know, Em,” she said brokenly. “I can promise to never keep a secret from you again, and spend the rest of my existence proving that promise will hold. But you have to forgive me on your own. I love you, Em, always.”

Emmett sighed, and sat down in the sand, wrapping his arms around his wife. In silence together, they resumed watching the waves, as darkness slowly gave way to daylight once more.


	27. Interlude IV - Reactions & Relationships. Part II: Relationships

Interlude IV: Reactions and Relationships

Part II: Relationships

 

Jane watched as the sandy-coloured wolf's powerful strides carried him far ahead of her. His paws kicked up mud and snow as he wove in and out of the trees, running with his pack. Jake had insisted that the shifters spend some time all together as wolves, becoming more comfortable with each other, and with their wolf-spirits.

The only one absent was Leah, of course. She had left with her mates yesterday, and everyone except Seth was surprised when she was missed. None of the pack, or their wolves, had known why Leah had phased, until their spirit-walk. There were no memories of her spirit form, no whispers of long forgotten legends, no recognition at all. Even Jake, whose wolf had been a part of every pack since the beginning, had not known it was possible for a female to phase. Leah's spirit-wolf began with her, and would be with her for an eternity.

Jane shot forward in a short burst of extra speed, trying, and failing, to catch up to Seth. Aggravated, she scaled a tree and sat near the tip, watching the weak winter sun glint off the nearby mountain peaks. She did not know what the boys were discussing through the pack mind. Maybe they truly were just having some fun. After all the changes in the last week, they probably needed it. It didn't seem to matter how much evidence they were presented with, the more deeply held a belief, the harder it was for humans to let go of it. The Quileute spirits had given the Elders and wolves ample evidence that they were meant to be Protectors against evil, and not all vampires were evil.

Hearing a whimper from the base of the tree, Jane looked to see that Seth had doubled back and was now standing on his hind legs with his forepaws on the trunk, looking up at her with a tilted head. She would never admit it out loud, but she thought his brown puppy-dog eyes were adorably cute. She scowled to herself. She'd never handled change well, either. It had taken her decades to reach for a light switch instead of a lantern or candlestick when Aro had brought electricity into the castle. 

At another whine, she huffed, “Fine, I'm coming down. I don't know why you wanted me to come along with you guys. It's not like I can read the pack mind. Or even keep up to you oversized canines,” she grumbled lowly. She'd never met anything faster than a vampire before. Not even Children of the Moon could outpace her, unless they had a head-start.

Seth watched Jane launch herself from the top of the tall evergreen, her graceful landing leaving a small dent in the earth. He nudged her shoulder with his head, closing his eyes and snuffing happily when she brought her hand up to briefly scratch his ears.

The young shifter ducked around the tree to phase and pull on his shorts before joining his imprint once more. She was still scowling at him, mumbling incomprehensibly, with her arms crossed over her chest.

Seth grinned. Jane, who was feared throughout the vampire world for her ability to cause and enjoy causing pain, was pouting. All she needed was a protruding lower lip and a little foot stomp, and the annoyed little-girl image would be complete.

Not that he'd ever mention it to her, or anyone else. He was fairly sure she wouldn't use her gift on him, but it was probably better not to provoke her anyway. None of the pack would say anything, either, once they saw this in his mind. They had all felt through the mind-link what Jane had done to Paul and Sam.

Still, he couldn't resist teasing her a bit. “I told you I was faster. We shifters wouldn't be much good against vampires if we couldn't overtake your kind, would we? It was fun to see you try to catch me, though.” Seth grinned and lightly tugged the braid Jane's hair was pulled back into today.

Jane pulled herself away from his touch with an indignant sniff. “You're not faster than I am,” she argued. “You're just so freakishly big that you cover more ground with less effort. I have to take two or three strides to match one of yours.”

“I may be freakishly big, but you are teensy-weensy,” Seth snickered at Jane's narrow-eyed hiss. “C'mon, the rest of the pack has gone back to La Push. You want to walk back with me?”

He held out his hand, hoping she would take it. Jane looked at the smile playing at the corner of his mouth for a minute. She wasn't sure what to make of him. She knew she was being teased, but for some reason she wasn't truly angry. Instead, she felt a light-hearted, almost giddy sensation within her. Even after such a short time, Seth meant as much to her as Alec or Aro. But in a very different way.

She was entirely happy being with him, Jane decided, taking his hand. They walked together in silence, listening to the stillness of the snowy forest around them. She felt Seth take a breath, preparing to say something, only to release it without speaking. Stopping, she faced him, raising her eyebrows in question, and waited.

“Did you, maybe, want to take a ride with me?” Seth managed to push the words out shyly. “I mean on me? O-on my wolf, I mean. I could phase and take you for a run. Even just back to the rez. Or around the forest. Whatever. If you want, I mean.” Seth blushed and stammered out his offer.

Jane dropped Seth's hand and stepped back. Bracing himself for rejection, the boy's heart soared when his imprint answered with, “That might be fun.”

Jane turned her back so Seth could strip and shift. He bumped her lightly when she turned back around and lowered himself, even though they both knew she could easily have jumped onto him at his full height.

Settling herself on his wide back, Jane gripped his ruff and leaned forward to whisper in his ear. “Run, wolf-boy. Show me your forest.”  
___***___***___***

She was never running long distances again, Jane decided, as she lightly jumped off of Seth's furry back. Riding the wolf had been way too much fun. She was still a little miffed that he was faster than she, but then eventually he would tire. The drawback of being alive, she chuckled to herself. 

She walked into the Clearwater house, leaving Seth to phase and dress himself. The unpleasant smell of human food assaulted her senses the second she stepped inside, and she was unsurprised to find Sue at the stove. Christmas Day was tomorrow. Charlie, Billy and Jacob would be eating dinner with the Clearwaters, and Sue had been in the kitchen all day. There were pies cooling on the table, and Sue was stirring something red in a small pot.

“Can I help you?” Jane asked, feeling a little out of place. This was her soulmate's mother, and as nice a human as Jane had met. She had accepted the unusual imprinting of her children with calm dignity, even though she was less than pleased that both Leah and Seth would be living it Italy now.

“No, thank-you, Jane,” Sue replied. “I'm just finishing the cranberry sauce. Everything else that can be done ahead of time is done. I'll just have to stuff the turkey in the morning, and then it will be a snap to get the rest of the dinner together. At least with the boys appetites I won't have to worry about making too much food.”

Jane nodded. The shifters really did eat a lot. Lorenzo was going to be delighted to be cooking for them. Until then, Jane decided she would ask Sue to show her how to cook using modern appliances. She had not prepared human food since her change. It would be an interesting experience, and the thought of providing food for Seth made her feel that same light-hearted giddiness that she had felt earlier when he wanted to hold her hand. Maybe she would make breakfast in the morning. She had seen Sue make ham and eggs on toast this morning. It really didn't look that hard.  
_______**********___________

Seth bolted awake as the scent of scorched bacon and burning eggs hit his sensitive nose. He'd never known his mother to burn food before. Shaking the last dredges of sleep from his mind, he realized that, while he could hear a small amount of noise from the kitchen, the only heartbeats other than his in the house belonged to his parents, who were still sound asleep.

He smiled sleepily. He'd better go save Jane before she burned the house down.

“Good morning, Teensy-Weensy,” he greeted his imprint. Jane glowered at him as she dumped inedible eggs into the garbage. She didn't have to know what eggs were supposed to taste like to know that they had been ruined. “Whatcha doing?” Seth turned off the stove and moved the bacon off the element. About half of it still looked okay. A little on the crispy side, but still okay.

“I thought I'd make breakfast,” Jane mumbled, “but I can see now that it was a bad idea. You tell anyone in Volterra about this and I'll. . .” she trailed off, realizing her usual threat of extreme pain was out of the question. “Damn it! I'll think of something.”

Seth laughed. “If I ever piss you off, Teensy-Weensy, ask Leah what to do. No one better than a sister to tell you how to best get back at her brother.”

Jane giggled, thinking about all the ways she knew of to irritate Alec. Suddenly, the prospect of having the temperamental she-wolf in Volterra was a lot more appealing.

“I will keep that in mind. Maybe she can share a particularly embarrassing childhood nickname, if you are going to insist on calling me Teensy-Weensy. Of course, I could call you Sethy-Smelly-Breathy at the moment,” she was amused when he scrunched up his nose and took a step back. “Now, are you going to give me a hand, or just stand there? I obviously have no clue how to do this anymore.”

“Umm. . . yeah. How about I go brush my teeth, and then I'll show you how to make coffee while I do breakfast. I may not cook a lot, but even I can't screw up bacon and eggs.” Seth chuckled at the sour look from Jane.

“Say that after not cooking for more than a millennium,” she muttered.  
______**********________**********

Seth returned the hard embrace his mother tearfully gave him, then smiled as he watched her hug Jane goodbye. The ancient vampire truly looked young and happy, surrounded by his family and the pack. She and Rosalie had gone shopping with Sue on Boxing Day to pick up some clothing for Esme, who refused to leave the reservation. Sue had managed to talk Jane into getting a few things for herself. Even though Jane felt more comfortable in dresses and skirts – pants for women were still a relatively new concept for her – she had been persuaded into buying a couple of pairs of soft jeans and pretty tops. The jeans hugged her slim hips, and the tops accentuated her young breasts, which had only been slightly augmented during her change.

She was beautiful and vivacious to Seth. Over the last ten days, she had become less caustic, less quick to use her gift, and much sweeter with him. They had gone for walks along the beach, and he had collected pretty ocean-washed rocks, and abandoned shells for her. The first time he had found a perfect spiral shell and picked it up to give to her, she had looked at him as though he were crazy. So they sat on a damp piece of driftwood, and he held the shell up to the light. The sun caught the gleam of the shell, and shone through the delicate object, highlighting it's whorls and stripes.

It was beautiful, more so to her vampire eyes than it would have been to a human. She was fascinated as she reached out to carefully take it from him. She had surprised him, and herself, by reaching up to give him a soft peck on the cheek.

It was the first time she had ever kissed anyone, and that included Alec. Before she could even fully complete that thought she had flitted away, leaving Seth behind with a beaming smile on his face.

She had helped him and his mom pack his things, listening to Sue reminisce over various things he had kept over the years. That had led to a couple hours on the couch in the family room, looking at baby pictures and hearing every embarassingly cute story his parents could remember. Jane and Seth had been side-by-side, with Harry and Sue surrounding them.

If he closed his eyes he could still feel her cool body pressed up to his side, her sweet scent, like caramel apple pie to him, overtaking his senses. Seth had to admit he had a serious crush on his imprint. He was thankful, though, that neither he or his wolf felt any need to pursue Jane as a mate yet. He and his dad had had a long talk the day Jane was shopping. There were just too many changes happening to the young boy to allow hormone-fuelled lust to take over and rush things that had, quite literally, all the time in the world to develop.  
*********___________*********___________  
******_____*****_______*********_________

Leah hung back, waiting near the limousine as the rest of the vampires entered the Volturi castle. Three vampires had met them at the airport, and Felix had briefly introduced them as Afton, Santiago and Renata. The female, Renata, had gone with Demetri, Bella and the Kings to the hospital, leaving Leah in the car with Felix, Alec and the two strange males.

She hadn't felt very comfortable, hanging her head to avoid the inquisitive stares and flaring nostrils. Hey, they didn't smell fantastic to her, either! They were way too sweet, not like her imprints. Felix smelled like her favourite tea: lemongrass, oranges and licorice; Demetri was dark chocolate mousse and raspberries.

No wonder she wanted to lick, suck and bite them all over.

Felix seemed to know that Leah didn't want to follow the group into the castle. Alec waved and took off, but the other two lingered. Felix let out a low growl when Afton and Santiago's eyes wandered over his mate's form with clear appreciation of her strength and beauty. 

“Fuck off, both of you. Eyefuck my mate again, and I will tear you apart. Then I will put you back together and Demetri will tear you apart.”

“Sharing her, are you, Felix?” Santiago snorted. “I suppose it figures, considering you and Demetri have been companions for so long. Does she know you two fuck each other?”

With a satisfied smirk, Santiago disappeared. Afton gave Leah a quick wink before he also darted away.

Felix shook his head. Even though he was happily mated to Chelsea, Afton was a consummate flirt. Then again, so was Chelsea. They never took it further than that, though. Santiago was an just an ass, but he was a loyal ass. He and Felix enjoyed an intense rivalry as the brute strength of the Volturi guard, but the dark-skinned Latino had never managed to beat Felix more than a handful of times.

The large vampire was brought out of his musing by a hand on his arm. He gazed down at the native beauty at his side. Leah was watching him with look he couldn't decipher.

“You and Demetri?” she asked. When he nodded his head warily, she broke out into a wicked grin. “Spirits that's hot! You'll still do that, right? Be with each other? Even though I'm here? I mean, I'd like to be with both of you, but you with each other? Hmm. . .” she trailed off, picturing it in her mind.

Felix's mouth dropped open, and then he laughed heartily. Their she-wolf was perfect for them. He could smell how turned on the idea of her two imprints fucking each other made her. He and Demetri had been together since they met. Lovers, friends, confidants, but not mates. They had enjoyed female company, but always together. Sex with another felt wrong unless they were both involved.

Outside of the Volturi, no one knew how close the two guards were. Within the guard they were considered companions. Now, however, Felix felt the bond changing. Since meeting Leah, his connection with Demetri had deepened. He wanted to talk to Demetri, and then consult Marcus.

But that could wait. He could see Leah was tired, even with the excitement of the conversation. He picked her up, holding her ass, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He captured her mouth, lips and teeth and tongue tasting and nipping, hands kneading her fleshy cheeks, as he carried her toward their room.

“Yes, my mate,” he answered when he let her up for air. “Yes to all of that. Demetri and I have been lovers for centuries, and we will still be lovers. With each other, and now with you. Both of us with you.” He nuzzled his mouth into her neck close to her ear, and whispered, “You'd like that, wouldn't you. Imagine you, over me, riding my cock while I tease your clit; Demetri behind you, buried in your ass, one hand gripping your hip while the other plays with your beautiful, brown nipples. I can see it clearly in my mind, Leah. Can you?” He pressed his erection up into her, and was rewarded with the scent of her arousal increasing.

He stopped at a thick door, sliding Leah down his body until her feet hit the floor. Her heart was beating faster, and her breath was coming in small, whimpering pants. Opening the door, he flashed a mischievous grin at her.

“Unfortunately, that will have to wait until Demetri returns. In the meantime, you were too excited to sleep on the plane. You need some rest and then we will introduce you to the coven. Demetri will be back by then.

“And then,” he dropped a kiss on her lips, “we will all continue what you and I have started here.” He led her into the room that was his and Demetri's.

Leah blinked through the cloud of lust surrounding her. Her body tingled and burned, and she wanted nothing more than to push Felix to the ground and go for that ride he just described. Her eyebrows slanted into a frown as she came back to awareness.

“You jerk!” she cried, slapping his chest. “You and Demetri both! You got me all worked up, knowing that you wouldn't do anything until he was here. He did the same thing on the plane. Teasing with hot touches and hotter words, until I can't think straight, and then stopping without following through! Demetri wouldn't even let me suck his cock. You! You're – you're vag-teasers!” She broke off at Felix's loud laugh.

“Vag-teasers. I'll have to tell Demetri that,” he grinned. “Anticipation, my fiesty one, adds spice to the experience. You may not appreciate it now, but you will. I promise we will satisfy you in every way.

“Plus,” he went on to explain gently, “Demetri and I have never taken another to our bed without us both being there. I begin to suspect that will not be the case with you, but for our first time together neither one of us would think of enjoying you without the other present and participating.”

Leah sighed and nodded; she was still on edge, but she couldn't be angry. The thought of both her mates with her was just so appealing. She could wait.

She looked around. Felix and Demetri's room – hers too now, she supposed – was large, and it needed to be. Dominating the room was the biggest bed she had seen; it had crisp, eggplant-coloured sheets and pillows, but no blankets. Through an archway on the far wall, Leah could see a sitting room, with an oversized couch facing a flatscreen TV mounted on the wall. The main room also had two other doors, both closed. Leah opened the first to a spacious walk-in closet. The next led to a bathroom. She looked at it, blinked, and then turned to Felix.

“Nice digs, but there is no toilet in the bathroom.”

Felix's lips quirked up. “We have never needed one. The Masters have a full bathroom because they knew their mate was human. Alec and Heidi also have toilets in their ensuites, as they have kept human lovers from time to time. But Demetri and I have only ever been with other vampires.”

“OK,” Leah responded. “So what do I do if I have to pee? And you're right, I'm tired. What time is it? I'm also hungry. Least you can do is feed one hunger, if you're going to ignore the other.” She crossed her arms and huffed teasingly.

Felix's face never lost its expression of mild amusement as he bent, grabbed her by her knees, and hauled her over his shoulder. He smacked her butt, ignoring her surprised screech. He was having so much fun with her.

“I will take you to the kitchens. There is a bathroom nearby you can use. We will have our ensuite redone right away. It is around noon here, middle of the night for you. Eat, then sleep. You are probably dead on your feet.”

Leah snickered at the phrase. “I'd say I'm in perfect company, then,” she replied.  
*****__________********_________*******

When Leah awoke, on the softest sheets she had ever felt, she wanted to go right back to sleep. Demetri's presence was the only thing that kept her from pulling the pillow over her head and ignoring the world for a few more hours.

When she realized he was sitting on the bed next to her, she stretched, kicking off the sheet so he could get a good look at her nearly naked form. Felix must have stripped her down to her underwear after he put her to bed.

Demetri's eyes grew dark, and he leaned over her, pressing kisses to her neck and up her jaw, finishing with the sweetest peck on her lips.

She didn't want sweet, but he was adamant.

“No, mate,” he denied her firmly. “As much as we would like to sequester ourselves in here with you, Protocol demands that we introduce you to the coven first. If it were just the guard, there would be no issue, as the Kings are currently indisposed with the Lady Bella. But the Ladies Didyme, Sulpica and Athenodora are here, acting as Regents for the Masters. Now that I have returned, we must meet them and present you as our mate.

“Felix is waiting for you in the ensuite. He will help you shower. I will be waiting for you here.” Demetri kissed her once more, pulling her out of bed and escorting her to the bathroom door. “He knows not to dally, and will ensure you do not either.”

Before Leah could respond, she was in the bathroom, where the running water had already made the room steamy. Felix was there, clad in just a robe. He smiled at her burgeoning anger, and waited for the explosion of temper. It didn't take long.

“Who does he think he is?!” she fumed, “We need to meet the coven, fine! But he practically ordered me to shower! No, he ordered me to let you give me a shower, and to be quick about it. I have a half a mind to rip his head off and go back to sleep. He can have it back when he learns not to be such an arrogant jerk!”

Felix stifled his laughter. He unsnapped Leah's bra while she was ranting, and she shrugged out of it without a pause, stepping out of her panties just as quickly when he lowered them. He disrobed, pulled her into the shower and began to wash her, just as she finished blustering.

“Did you know,” he said casually, “that Demetri is Captain of the Guard for the Volturi?”

Leah shook her head. She didn't know, and at the moment she didn't care. “Why is that even relevant?” she asked.

“Even though the Ladies have been overseeing the Volturi in the Masters' absence, if Demetri had not come with us to Washington, the Ladies would not be needed. Demetri would have been left in charge, and every occupant of the castle, every vampire who visited, would have been subject to him.

“He is not the best fighter, the fastest, oldest, or even most intelligent among the guards,” Felix went on. “Instead, he has that dominant and charismatic personality that makes him an excellent leader. He expects to be obeyed, and so he is. You have also seen that he can be patient, sensitive, and understanding.

“I'm telling you, though, that his personality does not change, even in private. To use your terms, he is the Alpha here. In public and in private.” Felix smiled as he finished washing her hair. “Although I quite enjoy that about him.”

Leah's jaw dropped again. She wasn't sure if she was understanding the large vampire clearly, but even the thought of him being obedient in the bedroom was tantilizing. Thinking back, she remembered that each time Demetri had told Felix to do something, the taller vampire had not hesitated to follow the command.

Still, “I'm not sure I could be that subservient,” she said, hesitantly, “I hate that part of being a wolf. If Demetri thinks he can order me around, I don't think we'll get along too well.”

“Don't worry, my fierce warrior,” Felix soothed. “I have a feeling Demetri will soon learn that, while I am happy to do his bidding without question, if he tries to command you too often, he will be in real danger of having his head chewed off. And that may be a literal phrase, in our case. Don't be afraid to challenge him. You saw how happy he was that his mate was strong and fierce, instead of docile. He told you that. And I know Aro mentioned that we needed our own strong female.

Now, just to forewarn you, I'm sure he's laid out clothes for us. Feel free to pick something else if you are unhappy with his choice.”  
****_______**********________********

The trio arrived at what Felix told her was the Throne Room, where the public and formal business of the Volturi was performed. The Ladies were seated on three of four ornate chairs on a raised dias, and Alec and the senior guard were cloaked and standing in a row at the platform's base. Felix had explained that the Volturi could be very formal, and this was one of those times.

Demetri and Felix stood with Leah beside them, and bowed to the Ladies.

“My Lady Didyme, my Lady Sulpicia, my Lady Athenodora, may we present to you and the guard, our mate, Leah Clearwater.” Demetri's voice rang through the room, and he indicated who was whom as he named the Ladies.

The three vampires stood from their chairs.

“Welcome to Volterra, Leah Clearwater,” Didyme intoned. “We are pleased to meet you, and overjoyed that Demetri and Felix have found their mate. These are the Volturi guard. Alec you know, and I have heard you briefly met Afton, Santiago and Renata. This is Chelsea, who is mated to Afton, and Heidi.”

Leah nodded her head, unsure of what to say, or whether she should say anything. Her hesitation went unnoticed, though, as Sulpicia spoke, looking concerned at the Quileute.

“Forgive me, but you have the scent that is very near to that of a werewolf, young one. Oddly, it is not repulsive, but it does concern me. You are not human.”

“I am a shapeshifter, a wolf,” Leah replied, a little bemused. She had never been told she stank in such a polite way before.

“She is the sister of the shifter that was brought to the Masters last week,” Alec interjected. “He was gone before you arrived, or you may have known the scent. She is also one of the shifters who saved the Lady Bella from the two in the dungeon.”

“Ah, I see! Fascinating!” Sulpicia's expression turned to excitement. “You must tell us all about yourself.”  
***______******______****

Leah laughed as she adjusted the green, red and white striped tights, looking at the red curly-toed shoes. 

“How do I look?” she asked Felix, kicking her feet so the little bell tips jingled.

The large vampire ran his eyes down his mate's velvet-clad body appreciatively. The red dress had long sleeves and a flippy skirt that ended a few inches above Leah's knees. It was simple, modest, and sexy as hell.

“You are perfect,” he said. “I'd like to think that if Demetri had known that the ladies of the coven were going to take such an interest in you, or that he would be called by the Masters mere minutes after we had finally escaped the females, he would have damned protocol. Those precious few hours before duty called him away would have been spent in a far more enjoyable manner than listening to gossip, and plans for shopping trips and wolf runs.”

“I still can't believe them! How can they be that accepting of me? I'm not that accepting of them.” Leah shook her head. “At least my wolf didn't want to tear their arms off every time they touched me. I mean, Emily was the only real girlfriend I've ever had, and she is my cousin, and I don't think she ever had her hands on me that often. Did you know Heidi wants details after we finally manage to get it on? She told me that when you guys went to get me food. Apparently she imagines you and Demetri together a lot. Do I really have to go shopping with them?”

Felix chuckled, shrugging into his Santa jacket. “Heidi has made no secret of her fantasy of watching Demetri and I, even if she isn't invited to join. Don't worry, we have never been interested. Aside from a lack of desire for her company, we would never have casual sex with a coven member. Too much potential for conflict. We are vampires; relationships, even casual ones, tend to be more serious than in the human world. That's why unmated vampires usually have long-term companions. There are a few exceptions, of course. But even Heidi and Alec, when they take human lovers, always keep them for several years.

“And no, you do not have to go shopping with them, but you may find you have a great deal of fun if you do. Just tell Heidi that her imagination will have to suffice because no one outside of us three will ever be privy to what goes on between the three of us.”

With that he adjusted his wide black belt, straightened the buckle, and stamped his feet into the large buckled boot. He took a very authentic-looking white wig, complete with a long beard, and secured it perfectly over his head and face. Turning to her, he smiled, the moustache moving with his lips.

“Now, are you ready to go, Mrs. Claus?”  
*********___________**********

“This is Ana-Maria; she is six months old,” Felix stroked the little girl's delicate fist. She was asleep in a frilly white crib, her cherub-bow lips parted and her face flushed. “She is a little miracle. Her parents were told that they could not have more children after the first.” Leah's heart lurched as she watched the sleeping babe. She had resigned herself to never having children, but it still hurt to think about. Even mates that the Spirits had destined for her underscored the fact that she was never meant to be a mother.

Felix reached into the red sack he carried and pulled out a pretty little doll, with a large pink bow in her hair. He placed it beside the baby, then darted to the main room, placing a wrapped box beneath the tree there. “Ana-Maria's brother, Franco, is six. He wanted a robot for Christmas.”

He and Leah snuck back out of the house, locking the door behind them, and moving on to the next house. They had delivered close to a thousand gifts, mainly to children between three and twelve. However, there were some households, like this last one, where Felix had a little something extra in his bag.

Leah had seen a side of Felix that she didn't think a vampire was capable of. He was jolly. She laughed at herself, but the word truly fit. And he was kind, caring, and oh-so-sweet. He knew about every family he visited. She learned that he usually visited the children who were in the hospital during Christmas, but hadn't been able to this year. She was surprised to find out that Santiago would take over that role when Felix wasn't available.

“This is our last stop,” Felix told her. “The twins, Antonia and Fernando, are eight, and have been trying to catch Santa in the act since they were five. I find them asleep in a different spot every year. Once on the stairs, once behind the tree, once behind the cushions on the couch. Last year they hid underneath the little table where they put the milk and cookies. They had put a tablecloth over it, and their little feet were just peeking out from underneath.

“Their mom tells me they can never understand how they end up in their own beds with a candy-cane in their hands. They always wake up when their parents move them.” He chuckled, “I look forward to teasing them when they come of age.”

“Why'd you leave them for last, then? It's five a.m., aren't they more likely to wake up now?”

“I want them to catch me this year,” Felix explained. “I've been told they are starting to doubt Santa's existence. They will see me, and believe for another few years. It will be fun. Stay out here, but keep your back to the windows. If they look, I don't want them to be able to recognize you.”

Leah laughed and turned away. “Hurry up, Santa Claus. I'll be here when you're done keeping the dream alive.”

She jumped when she felt him smack her ass. When she looked over her shoulder, he was already inside. She smiled. She really thought she could love the bloodsucking bastard.


	28. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The sisters had been very understanding when Bella hesitantly greeted them a second time. She noticed they were careful not to touch Marcus, or speak exclusively to him. Didyme had introduced Bella to her mate, Ankit, whom she called Kit. He had travelled to Italy from his homeland of Nepal eight hundred years ago, and Didyme had left with him a decade or so later. They were living in Spain right now, but both preferred the untamed mountains of Nepal.

Bella gaped a little when Didyme mischievously noted that there was nothing quite like making love at the very tip of Mount Everest. Meeting Kit reassured Bella, especially since Marcus was with her, and his former companion was the only one safely mated. She was able to enjoy the conversation, which was briefly interrupted when Demetri stopped by to seek Marcus's counsel.

Bella met the staff later Christmas afternoon, her mates at her side. The food Lorenzo had served was fantastic, and as they all sat to eat, she noticed that the brothers were each served a glass of what was obviously not red wine. They sipped casually throughout the meal, sharing their meal with Bella. She was surprised and pleased to find that blood had as much variety as wine itself was supposed to have. Although, really, anything she had heard about wine came from movies. Sweet, dry, rich with undertones of fruit, herbs, chocolate, and more. Each person had their own uniqueness, and carried it with them in their veins.

"If you will excuse us," Aro finally said, standing up from the table. "My brothers and I would like to thank you all for welcoming our mate, and your new Mistress, and sharing your Christmas meal with her. We will leave you now to enjoy the rest of your holidays."

Bella smiled, addressing the staff herself. She figured it would be the polite thing to do, especially since Aro was so obvious in pointing out to them, and to her, that she was the Mistress here now. The thought intimidated Bella, but she didn't let it show here. She'd talk to her mates later.

"Yes, thank-you all. The food was excellent, and I truly enjoyed meeting all of you. I hope you have had a happy Christmas and that the rest of your holiday is good." She took Marcus's waiting arm, and allowed her mates to lead her from the room, amid the well-wishes of the staff.

"What would you like to do now, amata?" Marcus asked. "I am completely at your disposal. Caius, Aro, will you accompany us this afternoon?"

"Actually, Marcus, Demetri had mentioned that he thought his search would take him to the most ancient artifacts we have, and so I began there when I sent him to his mates. I believe I had just stumbled upon a relevant fragment before I left. Dearest, you do not mind if I return to that, do you?"

Bella shook her head. "No, Aro, I don't. The day so far has been quite busy for me. Pleasant, but I met a lot of new faces, and wouldn't mind some down time. Maybe take me somewhere quiet and relaxing, Marcus?"

"Of course," Marcus replied. "Caius?"

"I must meet with the lower guard," Caius declined. "They have been keeping to themselves and their training, but they will also want to meet Bella soon.

"The lower guard?" questioned Bella. "Who did I meet today?"

"You met the senior guard, dearest," Caius caressed his mate's soft cheek. "Demetri, Felix, Jane and Alec are the Elite guard. Our most trusted. There are another 17 vampires that make up the lower guard, but they do not always stay in the castle."

"They are free to roam as long as they are within a two hours of Volterra and always available." Aro said, "Most choose to stay in the city, or quite nearby. They will all be recalled to the castle now, to begin training for the threat that looms."

"You must train as well," Marcus added. "Although we will wait until you are rested and settled. Caius, how are our guests in the dungeons?"

Caius's smile was feral. "The sisters did not think that our mate would appreciate Laurent scattered about the throne room where I ordered him left, so they had him placed throughout the lower levels, with his head locked up. It is gratifying to see him inch his way together. You must come and see later.

"The redhead, on the other hand, is perfectly intact, except for her mind. She is utterly mad, and rabid for our Bella. It would be a kindness to end her existence. Unfortunately, I feel no pity for the bitch." When he saw his tiny mate shudder, Caius drew her into his arms.

"Have no fear, dearest. They will not escape, and no harm will come to you." he assured her.

Bella pulled back, looked into her white-haired mate's eyes, and saw utter ruthlessness. He was unforgiving and thirsted for vengeance – the complete opposite of the tender-hearted, gentle vampire she had seen so far. She didn't like it.

"Caius," she began hesitantly, "I know you are upset with Victoria, but did she really do anything so wrong?"

Caius's eyes widened in surprise. He backed away from his mate before he began to pace, outraged.

"She tried to kill you!" he shouted, eyes black. "She nearly succeeded! Were it not for Seth, Leah and Jake, I would not have the piece of my soul that I have longed for for over a thousand years. You would have been taken, tortured, and drained, and I would have died in agony, knowing you were gone from this world. Never having even seen your face." He choked, the last words dying to a whisper as he slumped against the wall.

"You are right," Bella soothed. She walked up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest. "But, judging by the way you three have treated Laurent and Victoria, what she did is normal. They hurt me, so you are hurting them. Well, she thinks I am the reason her mate is dead. Doesn't it make sense to you that she would want to kill me?"

"We cannot let her go, Bella," Aro spoke into the pause. "even if she were not trying to kill you. I have seen into her mind. She and James were the worst sort of vampire. It was only a matter of time before they exposed us to humans. They were cruel when they fed, and barely cared about hiding themselves. And now she is insane. She cannot be freed."

"No! I didn't mean let her go." Bella clarified, still holding onto Caius. "But, Caius, what does torturing her get you? You are kind to me, and gentle, and this side of you concerns me. I understand that what she did makes you angry, but I think you should just put her out of her misery. It will only hurt your soul to torture her. You might not see that, or understand, but it's true. Torture isn't justice."

Caius was still for a while. Finally he sighed. "I am who I am, Bella. I have never been considered kind or gentle. I am ruthless, quick to temper, and prone to violent outbursts. Some of that has been the torment of waiting for you. Being excluded from the bond-sight has made me increasingly agitated over the years.

"But you are right, dearest," he sighed, running his face over her hair and breathing in her scent. "Torture would make me no better than she is. I will put her out of her misery. But do not expect me to be so lenient with the male. He did not lose a mate. He is not insane. There is not a single argument to be made that justifies his actions.

"However, I will do nothing more than enjoy the torment he feels as he pulls himself together. Jane has more claim to him than I do, for his treatment of Seth. I will relay your words to her. She may choose a swift death for him, or not."

Bella placed a kiss on Caius's tense jaw, and pulled him in for a deeper kiss before stepping back with a smile.

"Thank-you, Caius, for that. You won't be too long, will you? I'm looking forward to some time together, without anyone else around tonight."

"I will give you some quiet time with Marcus and see you a little later, but I won't be too late. Shall I pry Aro away from his artifacts when I am done?"

"Mmm," Bella hummed in agreement, "and if it's late, could you see about dinner? I'm full as a tick right now, but I'm sure I'll be hungry later."

"Of course we will, my darling," Aro happily declared. He gathered her hands in his and pressed kisses to her palms and to her lips. "Enjoy your relaxation and we'll see you later."

With that he and Caius disappeared from sight.

Bella turned to find Marcus eyeing her consideringly. She raised her brows in question, but he shook his head, smiling and offering her his arm.

"Shall we go, my mate?" he asked. "I will show you the space I call my own; I find it the perfect place to clear my mind after a long day."

He escorted her back toward their wing of the castle, stopping at a set of doors inscribed with his initials.

"Aro, as you have seen, has always been interested in the technology of humans. His own space is filled with every new gadget he can get his hands on, as well as a vast collection showing the advance of humans over the years. The modernization of this castle, from electric lights to plumbing to cell phones, game consoles and computers, has all been due to his fascination.

"Caius, for all his bluster, has the soul of an artist. He sees beauty in the smallest things, and in the mundane. He also has a tendency to see beauty where none should exist. The darker side of the vampire, as you witnessed today. His space is his studio; he will show it to you soon, I'm sure. He paints, carves, sculpts; you name it. He does it all. You asked about the mural on our bedroom wall, but I know you noticed the bed as well. He made that. Chose and sourced the wood, designed the bed, and carved it in minute detail.

"And yet, Caius also has a large collection of weaponry, both modern and ancient. He tends to favour the older weapons over those used today. That is the part of Caius that you confronted today. You surprised him, and me. You made Caius think, for the first time ever, about the darker, more violent parts of himself. He recognized that what you said is true. His savage, sometimes cruel, actions have never brought him the peace he sought.

"You made him realize that today. You spoke to him as the equal you are, and like a wise leader. I am so very proud of you, my precious one."

Bella blushed, silently cursing that she still could. "Thank-you, Marcus." She grinned. "Now are you going to show me your space?"

"Of course," he replied, opening the door. Bella walked in, eyes wide, to a richly decorated, two-storey room. Shelves were built into every wall on the first level, and a spiral staircase led up to a balcony level that spanned three walls of the room. The fourth wall held a pair of windows the height of the room, spilling natural light inside. The shelves continued all along the balcony, from floor to ceiling. Library ladders were visible throughout the room, and in the middle there was a seating area with four overstuffed chairs around a low table. Every shelf was filled with books. The room smelled of leather and paper and ink and dust, and Bella fell in love in that moment.

"Marcus," she breathed, "This is wonderful! This is like a dream! How many books are there? How are they organized?" She walked to the nearest shelf and ran her fingertips over the spines of the books lined up on it.

"There are over ten thousand volumes here," Marcus smiled at his mate's enthusiasm. He had a feeling this would not be just his space for much longer. He looked forward to sharing it with her.

"These are the books that hold particular interest to me. They are arranged according to the date I acquired them. But, innamorata, reading is not my only passion. Look around. What else do you see?"

At his urging, Bella tore her gaze off the books. It was then she noticed the instruments. She identified a cello, a violin, a guitar set in stands around the room. A grand piano was set between the two windows. She moved about the room, looking at instruments set in glass cases – obviously very old. She couldn't identify most of them, and others she could only guess at.

"Do you play all of these?"

"I am proficient with all of them, yes. I began to collect just after we settled here in Volterra. I have had favourites for a time, and those have been replaced with others, and still others. I enjoy the piano and the violin, and have for a long time. But my current favourite is this," he picked up something resembling a guitar and held it out to Bella.

She took it and noticed that it had twelve strings, in four groups of three. She looked at Marcus quizically.

"It's a Tiple Colombiano. Its sound is quite remarkable. Sit and I'll play for you." He took the instrument from her and directed her to one of the chairs. Perching on the arm of another, he began to play.

Bella closed her eyes after a minute and let the melodic sound wash over her.

 

She awoke in their bed with her three mates around her. She stretched, smirking when she saw their eyes fix on the bit of skin exposed by her top riding up.

"Mmm," she moaned, mischief in her tone, "now that you have me here, what are you going to do?"

Any further words were stopped when Aro claimed her mouth in a hard, wet kiss. She tangled her hands in his hair, and met his tongue with hers, humming with pleasure at his taste.

Lost in Aro, she barely noticed her clothes torn away, until she felt cool lips and teeth and tongues on her bare flesh. She gasped into Aro's mouth when she felt a tug at her breast, and groaned when a mouth descended to suck and nip at her clit.

Caius wrapped his lips around his teeth, clamping one of the soft, pink peaks of his mate's luscious breasts hard. He gasp made the corners of his eyes crinkle as he smiled to himself. He caressed her other nipple gently, barely skimming the puckering bud. With a hard tug to one, and the barest of touches to the other, Caius alternated until Bella was whimpering.

The opposing sensations at her breasts was driving her mad. The small bit of pain with the tug travelled down, sensation pooling where Marcus's mouth tormented her. And the soft brush gave her goosebumps, sending shivers that she felt in the back of her throat. She arched up, trying to balance the pressure, but Caius steadied her with a hand on her ribs, and then switched sides, brushing and tugging once again.

Marcus's purr vibrated into Bella's core as he immersed himself in her essence. She wrapped her legs around his head, arching up into his prodding tongue.

Marcus gently pried her legs away from him, pushing them wide and holding them down. He looked up to see Aro nipping his way down to her breast, trading places with Caius, who took their mate's mouth with his own.

Bringing his mind back to the task at hand, Marcus flattened his tongue, licking a long line from Bella's back entrance up to her clit. He repeated the action, smiling when she jumped at the new, and unexpected, sensation.

He focussed back on her clit, sucking the swollen tip and rolling it with his lips. Taking one hand from her legs, he inserted a finger into her, marvelling at her wetness and warmth. Pumping, he joined a second finger with the first. Bella's hips began a rolling rhythm in time with his finger's thrusts, and her breath came in short pants against Caius's lips.

Aro looked up from where he was placing kisses against Bella's neck, her shoulders and collarbone, her breasts and down to her stomach. He met Marcus's eyes, and reached to the side, picking up and handing his soul-brother the bottle of lubricant they had brought to the bed in anticipation of this moment.

Popping the cap with his free hand, Marcus poured a liberal amount of the gel on the thumb of his hand still pushing in and out of Bella. Setting the bottle aside, he bend his mouth once more to her core.

Bella was in a frenzy. Six hands and three mouths touched her, and she could hardly tell where she left off and her mates' began. Her whole body tingled, from the bottom of her feet to the nape of her neck. Even the roof of her mouth buzzed each time Caius swept his tongue along it.

Aro seemed determined not to miss a single inch of her torso, as he nipped her tender flesh. His love-bites were sharp, just short of breaking skin, and each small zap of pain was followed by a prolonged jolt of pleasure and heightened awareness.

It took her a minute to feel the digit circling the puckered flesh of her ass, and by the time she registered the intrusion, Marcus had already pressed his thumb into her dark depths. He drew his thumb in her ass, and his fingers in her pussy out at the same time, brushing them against each other through the separating membrane, and slowly pushing back in, starting a slow tempo that clouded Bella's mind in a haze of pleasure. Her orgasm drew closer and her hips pumped into Marcus's hand faster, and she felt his fingers and thumb slide in and out of both entrances at once.

"Aaah!" she screamed, arching up. Her cry soon turned into a high-pitched, wordless wail. Caius and Aro sat back on their heels to watch her ride out her climax. Bella's hands flailed at the bedsheets, and her head tossed from side to side. Marcus relentlessly continued his fast-paced thrusts, his face buried in her bared, oversensitive flesh, tongue flitting against her clit rapidly.

He pulled his thumb from her, turning his hand quickly and beckoning his fingers against her g-spot hard.

"Oh my fucking God!" Bella shook, her toes curling and every muscle in her body contracting when her orgasm continued, increasing in intensity. Marcus brought his lip-covered teeth down on her clit firmly, and was rewarded when, with a renewed scream, Bella gushed against him, releasing her fluids against his face and hands.

"Dear Gods, brothers," Aro breathed in awe, "look at her. Have you ever seen such passion, such abandon?"

"She is without equal, Aro," Caius replied. Then he spoke to Bella, who had finally relaxed and opened her eyes. He hair was wild and stuck in places to her cheek, and she was panting heavily, her pink tongue peeking out of her mouth.

"My mate," Caius said. "We would dearly love to have all of you now. Each of us with you, within you, at the same time. We would like to enter you, cover you, surround you and overwhelm you. Will you allow us?"

Bella thought that she had been completely sated, yet her body proved her wrong. At Caius's words, her heart skipped a beat, and then sped up once more. She felt her body start to tingle once more, and her hips jerked upwards involuntarily.

Bringing her own hands to her breasts, she squeezed them, closing her eyes and throwing her head back to expose her neck. Moaning, she opened her eyes once more to meet the black-eyed gazes of her vampires.

"Come to me, my mates. I can't wait to feel all of you inside me." She rolled onto her hands and knees, facing Aro, with Marcus and Caius behind her. Looking over her shoulder at them, she smiled. "I have chosen who I want to taste first. You two can figure out the rest."


	29. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Caius held Bella close in the back of the limousine, as they made their way to the airport. Opposite them, Felix had a large hand on Leah's thigh, smiling as she leaned into him. Conversation was light, and included Alec, who had volunteered to drive to collect his sister.

Caius had tried to convince Bella that they could wait in Volterra for Jane, Seth, and the three former Cullens to come to them, but his mate was adamant about meeting the plane.

"Given everything that Jasper and Rosalie have apparently done for me, Caius," Bella had said over his protests, "it would just be good manners to be there when they land. Plus, Leah wanted my company. You don't have to come if you don't want to. You can go back to chortling as Laurent's body parts try to find each other. That was a little mean, you know."

Caius grinned, "You know that my brothers and I will not allow you to go without at least one of us. I will amuse myself with Laurent later. I am looking forward to seeing what Jane thinks of his current predicament. You found it amusing, my darling. I saw you stifle a laugh when his hand kept trying to wiggle through the hedges, or when his kneecap kept knocking against the walls."

Bella wrinkled her nose, fighting back a smile. Caius had given Victoria a swift end, but continued to enjoy Laurent's dilemma. Her white-haired mate had persuaded her to come with him to the dungeons several days ago to watch as the pieces of vampire flesh found each other and knit themselves together tenuously. Caius had explained that, unless they were exposed to blood or venom, any fusing would only occur on the surface. Below the vampire skin, muscle and bone would remain unattached, and the reformed part would be very weak.

So far, both of Laurent's feet, and one of his hands had been reassembled. His torso was nearly complete, and all but six of his dreadlocks had found their way back onto his head. Laurent's face was a mask of horrified fear, pain, and impatience. Watching him, Bella did not feel the same understanding for him that she had for Victoria. After all, as Caius had pointed out, Laurent had not lost his mate or his mind when he attacked her and the shifters.

Caius had expressed displeasure at how quickly the dark-skinned vampire was coming together. He ordered several guards to gather up the pieces in individual bags, and then grabbed Laurent's head by his hair. Holding it in one hand while keeping himself away from the weakly snapping teeth, he offered his other arm to Bella.

"Come, my darling," he chuckled as she very hesitantly placed a hand on his arm. "We have not shown you the gardens yet. I have an ongoing project in the Western Courtyard that I think will keep this cur from regaining himself too quickly."

He led her out to a balcony overlooking what was obviously a maze. Bella saw several entrances, but, even looking from above, it was more complex than anything she had seen before. Stone walls, hedges, bridges, and what looked like underground passageways completely obscured a clear path through. In the centre, a fountain splashed, its sound providing a deceiving beacon to those trapped within the maze. Bella turned to Caius, wonder in her eyes.

"It is only one acre," Caius said, "but it has eight underground passageways, each with their own twists and dead-ends, and five bridges. I have been tinkering with it for the last hundred years or so. Once a vampire has solved it, they will ever know the path, of course, but it still keeps me amused. I think it will suit my purposes very well. Would you like to wait here, or would you like a closer look?"

"I'll wait here," Bella replied, already suspecting what Caius was up to. "I wouldn't mind trying to figure it out for myself sometime, so I won't peek, either. Hurry back."

Caius entered the maze, instructing his guard to deposit Laurent's pieces wherever they wanted inside, and then placed the vampire head atop the fountain, arranging it so that the spray exited Laurent's mouth whenever he opened it, streaming like a collar from around his neck the rest of the time. Laurent glowered at the added indignity.

Bella's first reaction was to laugh when she saw the sheet of water pouring from the base of the vampire's head. Caius was relieved. He had been worried that Bella would be upset with him for toying with Laurent. True, this was not the same as the torture he had planned for Victoria, but he relished the humiliation he heaped upon the nomad. He also took dark delight in the prolonged pain Laurent would suffer as his pieces searched the maze for each other.

Laurent's unproductive attempts to bring his scattered corpse together still played through Caius's mind as they came to a stop at the airport. Leah's flung her door open, charging her brother, who had just descended from the plane.

"Leah!" Seth cried, hugging his sister hard. He swung her around, overjoyed when she laughed and hugged him back. She looked fantastic, with a wide, happy smile on her face that he hadn't seen in a very long while. "You look great! Is it Italy that agrees with you, or your Italian bloodsuckers?"

Leah punched him playfully on his arm before stepping back into Felix and wrapping his arms around her waist. She reached up behind her to hook her hand around his neck before answering her brother.

"It must be Italy," she squeaked when Felix turned and nipped her upraised arm. He pushed his nose into the crook of her elbow, inhaling deeply the complex fragrance that was his mate.

"What?" she asked mischievously, looking over her shoulder at him. "Demetri is a Greek bloodsucker, remember? And that wasn't one of Seth's options. So, if Demetri doesn't get credit, then neither do you."

Felix said nothing as he bent his head to take Leah's lips in hard kiss. Her needy whimper made him want more, and he met her questing tongue with his, turning her around to face him. She gripped his hair hard, jumping and wrapping her legs around his waist when he moved his hands down to seize the plump globes of her ass, continuing to feast on her mouth.

Her brother and the rest of their audience forgotten, Leah ground her core against Felix's rapidly hardening member. He pulled away from her mouth, kissing and nibbling down her neck. She threw her head back with a whining gasp as he nipped the mating mark he gave her hard, then began to lick and suck it.

Leah thought she heard someone yelling her name, but any awareness was lost when Felix hiked her up higher to catch a cloth-covered nipple in his mouth. Growling, she scratched her nails down his back, grabbing his shirt up and tearing it off. She moaned, feeling his strong flesh beneath her hands, moving one hand to the front, low between their bodies. Rubbing her fingers along his rigid length, she fumbled with his belt, pulling it apart before working to open his button and zipper.

Bella watched, mouth agape, as Felix and Leah lost themselves to their passion. She noticed Seth shrug and enter the vehicle when his attempt to call Leah got no response. Jane stood next to her brother, shaking her head in amusement, when suddenly Jasper, who had just been leaving the plane, rushed down the stairs, eyes black, unable to keep from projecting Leah and Felix's lust, along with his own.

Jasper knew the young-looking vampire standing next to Jane was most likely her twin, Alec. He was slight, just a few inches taller than Jane herself, and had brown hair set over the most attractive crimson eyes he had ever seen. He had just started toward the siblings when the force of lust permeating the air hit him.

Without further thought, he ran toward Alec, intent on scooping the smaller vampire up and claiming him. Finally, he thought, the Gods have seen fit to reward me. After all these years, all that I have done, good and bad – finally I have been given my mate.

Shock kept Alec still as the tall blonde male arrived next to him. He had just a moment to register the dark eyes in a scarred face before he was gathered up in strong arms.

"You are Mine." he heard the vampire growl softly into his neck. He was held firm against the male's body, and as he inhaled, the scent of the vampire who held him hit him, and he felt his body swell in response. He tilted his head, baring his neck completely, and grabbed at the male's lean hips, thrusting his erection to rub against another.

"Oh Gods," Bella said, her mutter turning into a moan as Caius pulled her back into his front, his hard cock digging into the cleft of her ass. She still blushed when she thought about everything she had done with her mates over the last week. The feeling of all of them in her body continued to overwhelm her, sending her into paroxysms of ecstasy that she feared she would never recover from.

Bella's eyes closed as her head fell back onto Caius's chest, only to snap open when she heard fabric rip. Leah was grinding up against Felix, her hand jerking furiously on his exposed penis, clad in just her bra and underwear.

Jasper had Alec pinned to the trunk of the limousine. Their hands were clasped over Alec's head, and they were devouring each other's mouths, their hips moving rhythmically together.

Jane's eyes were frantic, her body twitching as she eyed the vehicle door Seth had shut behind him. Bella could almost hear the argument going on in the small female's head, and through the thick fog of lust, she realized that she had to stop this.

Just as Felix tore off Leah's underwear, Bella yelled, "Jane! Pain on Jasper, now!"

Jane obeyed without hesitation, focussing her gift for the first time in many days, on the vampire she had come to respect. She watched as he released her twin to grab the sides of his head, gritting his teeth to contain his screams of agony.

As quickly as Jasper was down, Bella's head cleared. Before Jasper's pain could become everybody's, she calmly instructed Jane to stop. Jasper leaned his forehead against Alec's chest, breathing his mate's sweet scent as the memory of pain lingered briefly.

Alec saw his mate's distress, and growled at his sister. His eyes now were black from anger, rather than lust. He stood quickly, pushing the taller vampire behind him, and launched himself at Jane, teeth bared, venom dripping, his own gift leading the way.

Leah was completely bare now with Felix buried inside her. His hands at her hips pulled and pushed, and she was bucking against him, growling, eyes yellow, and canines out.

"Stop!" Bella yelled, not sure if she was shouting at Alec or the pair putting on a live, public sex-show. She was unsurprised when nothing happened. Unsurprised, but highly annoyed.

"STOP!" she yelled again, flinging her hands forward with emphasis.

Ivy appeared out of thin air, halting Alec mid-spring. The unexpected lurch broke his concentration, and the mist of his gift dissipated. Another set of vines sprang up between Felix and Leah, pulling them off and away from each other, wrapping around each of them enough to maintain a shred of whatever dignity they had remaining.

Utter silence descended on the group, as every mouth dropped open, and every pair of eyes widened. Leah seemed to come back to herself, and her face erupted in a fiery blush, visible even with her russet complexion.

"Emmett!" Rose's high-pitched cry sounded from inside the plane, breaking the silence.

"Ugh, Rose, that's it. God, baby, you feel so good. Come for me, my Rosie!" Emmett uttered a few expletives before he and his mate cried out together, obviously completing the activity that had been so recently on everyone's mind.

Bella rolled her eyes. She just didn't know where to begin. The nudge against her backside decided the matter for her. Turning, she addressed her mate.

"Caius, as much as I enjoy you, I am sure that you don't want to treat everyone here to as much of a view of me as we all have had of Leah." She stilled his hips with a firm hand. She turned back to the group, waving a hand between Alec and Jasper. "Oh, and Alec, meet Jasper. Jasper, this is Alec, your mate, apparently."

Jasper felt embarrassment flare up once again in the female shifter and her mate. The rest of the group felt annoyance and amusement in almost equal parts, with a good dose of lust still evident.

From Alec the overriding emotion was still rage. Jasper stepped up behind his furious mate, and wrapped his arms around the lithe waist, nuzzling Alec's neck and whispering to him.

"Alec, I'm OK. Jane didn't hurt me much, just enough so that we didn't all end up claiming each other right here and now. You don't need to protect me, my fierce one."

Jane quietly sighed with relief as the black of Alec's eyes slowly faded. He scowled at her, and growled lowly, but she understood. She would kill anyone who harmed her Seth. Speaking of which. . .

"Master Caius," she gritted through a clenched jaw, "where is the filth that harmed my mate?"

"Ah, Jane," Caius grinned, "I am delighted you have asked. I have kept him for you to enjoy. I'll tell you about it on the way home.

"My darling," he said to Bella, "You can let them go now. I am confident everyone with behave appropriately on the way back." He fixed a gimlet stare at Felix and Leah. "I will be relaying your behaviour to Demetri, Felix. You, too, she-wolf. I'm sure he will want an explanation."

"I'm not sure I can explain, Master Caius," Felix's tone was low and confused. "But there is no need for you to tell Demetri. I will take care of that myself."

"We will take care of that," Leah corrected emphatically. "I have no idea what happened, either, but I know that right now I am highly embarrased. I am so sorry we got so carried away." The native beauty hung head, unwilling to raise her eyes. She wanted to hide under a rock, or shift and run high into the hills.

"Caius," Bella's hesitant tone brought the white-haired king's attention to her immediately. "I'm not sure I know how to let them go. I don't know how I even did this."

"Try to relax, my darling," Caius soothed. "By the sound of your voice, I would guess that these vines appeared in a moment of desperation."

Bella nodded, "I saw everything happening. Felix tearing Leah's clothes off, and Jane trying so hard to hold herself back from going to Seth, and Jasper and Alec on the limo, and knew that someone had to change Jasper's emotional state. Jane was the only one who could. But by then Leah and Felix were, umm, well. . ." she broke off blushing, then continued, "and Alec was the only one who could have stopped them, but he was attacking Jane, and I just wanted it all to stop!"

"That was quick thinking on your part, Bella." Jasper's voice was pleased. "I'm not sure anything else but the pain Jane can inflict would have been able to cut through the lust those two were throwing off. I agree with Caius. If you called forth your gift with heightened emotion, then it should go away if you relax."

Caius pulled Bella into his chest, purring softly as he ran his hand through her hair and down her back. He whispered words of love, of pride in her, of reassurance, and felt the tension leave her body. He watched over her head as the ivy vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving not a trace behind.

"Does anyone have anything I can wear?" Leah nearly whispered, her face heating once more, as her hands came up to try to shield herself from view. Felix dashed in front of her, zipping and buttoning his pants at vampire speed, while everyone else turned away.

"You can borrow something of mine," Rose answered, as she walked gracefully out of the plane and down the steps, Emmett following behind with a satisfied grin, his eyes firmly trained on his mate's bottom. Rose looked immaculate, not a hair out of place, or a wrinkle on her clothing. Leah grumbled to herself at the unfairness of it all.

The statuesque blond female directed Emmett to put her suitcase on the trunk of the limousine. She took a second to shake her head at the new dents adorning the gleaming black metal, and then she opened her luggage and removed a soft, silky summer dress in aquamarine blue, and a pair of white lace thong panties with the tags still attached.

"Here," Rose handed the dress to Leah, "Everything in this suitcase is either new or almost new. I only wore the dress once, but I'm sure it will fit you. I have a bra here to match the panties, but I'm a little more busty than you, and I think the dress will be just fine without it."

Leah bent to slip on the underwear. Felix held the dress, helping to drape it over her head. As he moved her hair out of the way, his nostrils flared, and he drew in a large breath of air. Immediately his eyes darkened, and he reached for Leah once more.

"No!" Jasper panicked. "Alec, your gift! Sensory deprivation, right?"

At the twin's nod, Jasper ordered, "Throw it on Leah and Felix, now! Unless we want a repeat of what we just narrowly avoided."

Alec needed no further prodding to envelop the large vampire and his mate in his gift.

"Well," Caius growled, his eyebrows drown down in a stern frown. "When we get back, remind me to toss these two into their chambers with Demetri and orders not to come out until they have got whatever it is out of their systems."

He offered Bella his hand, turning to the remaining group, "With Felix and Alec indisposed at the moment, I will be driving back to Volterra. I am sure you two," he indicated Rose and Jasper, "will be interested to learn what Aro and Demetri have uncovered over the last few days."

He opened the passenger side front door for his Bella, and nearly recoiled at the scent of shifter semen that wafted from the interior. Slamming the door, he stalked to the back, opening the rear door to reveal a mortified Seth with his face hiding his hands. He had removed his shirt, obviously using it to catch and clean up the evidence of his release. Peeking through his fingers, he slowly brought his hands down.

"I just couldn't stop myself," he explained with a weak grin.

Turning on his heel, Caius scooped Bella up in his arms, and began to walk determinedly to the airport's main terminal. He turned and glared at the abashed group before him.

"Bella and I will be finding our own transportation," he stated. "The rest of you take that vehicle back to Volterra. Tell my brothers we will arrive shortly.

"And clean the limousine!" he yelled.


	30. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Bella and Caius actually arrived in Volterra before the rest of their group. Caius had quickly rented a Ferrari F430 Spider, and Bella's heart hit her throat when she glanced over and saw him pass the 200km/h mark when they overtook the limo on the autostrada.

She wasn't sure what that meant in miles, but she knew it was damned fast. Now she knew why Caius had smiled and gently denied her request to put the top down on the beautiful gunmetal grey convertible. 

“They did what?!” Demetri growled.

Thinking Demetri might react badly to Felix and Leah returning under the influence of Alec's gift, Bella had called ahead to Aro, asking him to meet them in the garage with Marcus and the tracker. 

“I don't think they could control themselves, Demetri. Whatever is going on, they were fine on the way there. It was only after we met the plane that they started acting weird.”

“After Felix inhaled her scent directly from the veins in the crook of her elbow,” Caius added. “And again when he pulled her hair away from her neck helping her dress. That is when we had Alec contain them.”

Aro took his hand away from Caius and addressed the tracker. “Whatever it is that is drawing Felix so strongly to Leah is becoming more potent. The second time he was not nearly as close to her as the first time. I would suggest that when they arrive, you hold your breath and allow Alec to escort them to your chambers.”

Demetri nodded, taking the suggestion seriously. He was intrigued and concerned at this latest turn of events, and the last thing he wanted was to take his she-wolf in a surge of uncontrollable lust, here on the floor of the garage. 

“Demetri,” murmured Marcus, smiling slightly, “Do not trouble yourself with thoughts of the guard, or your duty, until you have settled your mate. We will send for you if you are urgently needed. If you are not, then enjoy your mates, and send word when you can.”

“Master Marcus,” Demetri suspected the ancient vampire had an idea what was going on, “do you know what is happening?”

“I do not know, but I can make a guess,” Marcus looked at his Captain and smirked. “Your Leah is a wolf, after all, Demetri. It is plausible, even probable, that she has entered her fertile cycle, and her scent is potent enough to lure her mates to her. It will be interesting to see the outcome of this. Over the years there have been rumours, although we have never seen it confirmed, of vampire males conceiving children with human women.”

He turned to leave, offering Bella his arm. She giggled at the shocked expression on Demetri's face, and patted his shoulder softly.

“Have fun, Demetri,” she snickered, taking Marcus's arm. Together, she and her three mates exited the garage.

***---***---***---

Demetri met the newly-arrived group in the garage. He took a deep breath before pulling open the limo door and motioning everyone out. Glancing at the three unfamiliar vampires, he asked Jane to prepare the former Cullens to 'present themselves to the coven with all decorum and haste'.

Rosalie bristled at his tone, but he had dismissed her with a look, before asking Seth to take his sister and follow Alec to the trio's chambers. Unfortunately, at that moment, he expended all the air that was in his lungs. Hefting Felix, he nodded to Alec, who swiftly escorted them all away.

When Seth returned to his imprint, Jane had once more assumed the stern demeanor she usually wore in Volterra. She directed Alec to take his place next to Jasper Whitlock, and led the group into the heart of the castle.

Dwarfed by her shifter mate, Jane entered the throne room. As expected, the entire coven, including the lower guard, was there to meet them. The Kings were seated in their temporary thrones, with Bella seated in between Caius and Aro. 

Jane bowed low before her Kings and new Queen, watching from the edge of her vision as the others did the same. She held back a small huff as Seth merely tipped his head, waving a little at Bella. Jane heard Athenodora gasp at the familiarity, but the Lady said nothing as Bella's lips tilted up and she waved back to the young shifter.

“Majesties, my Ladies, may I present to you and the coven my mate, Seth Clearwater.”

Alec stepped forward when Jane had finished speaking. Smiling with obvious delight, he tugged at Jasper's hand, bringing the taller male up beside him.

“Majesties, my Ladies, may I present to you and the coven my mate, Major Jasper Whitlock. With him I present Rosalie McCarty, and her mate, Emmett McCarty, both formerly of the Cullen coven.”

“Welcome back, Seth!” Aro beamed at the young shifter. His expression dimmed when he took in the rest of the newcomers. “Welcome to Volterra, Mr. and Mrs. McCarty. Welcome, Major Whitlock. You have been most fortunate, finding your mate in Alec.”

“I cannot disagree with you, Master Aro.” Jasper replied with a smile at Alec. “I am very fortunate, indeed.”

Caius descended the stairs, Bella at his side, and walked toward the group. “It is good you are here. You will have time to meet the guard individually at a later time. You know who we are, but for the sake of Protocol, I am Caius, and these are my soul-brothers, Marcus and Aro. We are pleased to present the Lady Bella as our mate and Queen. We are the rulers of the Volturi.

“I also make known to you the Lady Didyme and her mate Ankit, as well as the Ladies Sulpicia and Athenodora. They have been kind enough to preside over the business of the Volturi while we were recently away.”

Marcus dismissed the guard with a wave of his hand as soon as Caius was done. He allowed the Ladies to welcome the newcomers and congratulate Jane and Alec on finding their mates. The three Volturi ladies were unusually interested in Seth, reducing him quickly to a blushing stammer.

It was Rosalie that put a halt to needless conversation when she turned to Aro and began to speak in her usual brusque, no-nonsense way.

“Master Caius mentioned at the airport that you had found something that would interest Jasper and me. If it concerns Bella, I would like to know as soon as possible. I have been watching for, and protecting her for decades. I cannot stop now.”

“Thank-you for that, Rose,” Bella murmured, earning a wide smile from the blond beauty. “And thank-you, Jasper, for everything you've done.”

Bella turned to her mates. “Aro, I would like to see what it is you've been so excited about for the last several days. I also would like to know what the heck was with the ivy springing out of nowhere at the airport. It's a good thing the private runway is a long way from anywhere, with what went on there.”

“I would like to see your power also, amata,” Marcus said. “It makes one wonder what else we have not discovered about you yet. I believe, Aro, you have all your notes in our study?” At his brother's nod, Marcus continued, “Let us adjourn there. I will call for food to be sent up for Bella, and Seth, too, if you and Jane are joining us.”

“Sure, I'll come. Then, if it's okay, I'd like a place I can phase to pass on the information to Jake. He can tell the Elders and Charlie. Everyone is curious about how much of a freak you really are, Bella.” He chortled when Jane put her hands to her face and shook her head. Caius narrowed his eyes at the shifter, while Marcus stifled a smile and Aro laughed outright. Bella smacked Seth's arm, surprising him with her newfound strength.

“Don't worry about it, Jane,” she soothed the embarrassed guard. “He's just a puppy. I'm sure you'll be able to house-train him, with enough time. Besides, him calling me a freak is kind of like the pot calling the kettle black.”

Seth staggered, mocking a wound to his heart, while Jane giggled into her hands. Alec stared at his sister in disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something about her odd behaviour, but an impatient sound from Rose brought them all back to their task.

Marcus led the way to the study, instructing a passing servant to have a meal delivered. He made sure to instruct the human that Seth was Leah's brother, and would have a similar appetite. Lorenzo had been happy to prepare large amounts of food for the she-wolf, after he had recovered from his initial shock. He had requested, and been granted, a sizeable increase in his budget for food purchases.

The brothers' study was comfortable and well-furnished. A grouping of plush couches and chairs was arranged in the middle of the room. Tables and lamps were placed here and there. A large, solid wood desk was placed underneath the window, papers neatly arranged on it. A small white box with a flatscreen monitor sat in the centre of the desk. Bella had been confused the first time she saw Aro's Mac mini; it was so different from the ancient desktop back in her room in Forks. By the time her beloved geek had dragged her over to the sixth computer in the castle, going on about speeds, RAM, graphics cards, and who-knows what else, she had decided to provide a distraction to save her sanity.

She still blushed every time she passed that room. Aro swore he wasn't going to replace the broken desk and shattered computer. Unfortunately, he had mistaken her actions, and now thought that endless chatter about technology turned her on.

She figured she'd correct him in a few decades.

Aro pulled a laptop off a shelf in the room, sitting next to Bella on one of the couches. He turned to Rose and Jasper.

“We set Demetri the task of searching our archives for anything that would give us any information while Bella was undergoing her change,” he explained. “It wasn't long before he realized that the guard would not be able to help, as there was no pertinent information outside of the Ancient Greek and Mycenaean writings.

“He had just begun on the oldest of the Greek texts when I took over the task, giving him some much-needed, and well-deserved, time with his mates. I decided to work from the oldest texts forward, combing through every scrap of Mycenaean script we have.”

“I've been meaning to ask,” Bella interrupted. “Caius, if you're the one who has collected most of the ancient texts, why is it that you don't read the language?”

Caius shrugged, “I was not literate until I came to Volterra. I speak the language, but do not read it. Most of the texts I have collected are more recent. I only have a very few with Linear B script; so very few examples exist. I did not see a need to learn it when I collected it. Aro and Jane have taken it upon themselves to learn as many dead languages as they can.”

“And it is a good thing we did,” Aro added, “as I have found two separate artifacts with references that could possibly refer to this situation. Not knowing exactly what is going on, it is hard to say for sure. However, I did notice that Caius has categorized the items as originating from the same excavation, and at the bottom of each fragment is a symbol that looks remarkably like the plumeria flower that represents our bond.

“I have translated the writings; of course, such an old language doesn't always translate well. But I believe I have it correct. The first references the Lamaie, as follows:

“When the forces of the underworld, the haunting ghosts, the necromancer of witchcraft and darkness seek out new hunting grounds  
The sacrificed souls descend  
Violence and fear strengthen power  
The violated goddess seeks freedom and spring once more  
The sons and daughters of Mormo, one side in balance and harmony, the other in hate and torment, meet in final conflagration

“The haunting ghosts, of course, refer to the Lamaie, and the sons and daughters and Mormo to vampires, which we learned from Rosalie McCarty. The rest I can speculate on, but before I do, I will read you the other passage, which has more to do with our bond, and Bella herself, I think.

“The ancient bond, of ageless divinity wrought  
Sustained by life of ancient life  
The nymph once more seen in the mortal plane,  
Will shelter the chosen sons within her heart  
And fortify them to meet their fate  
Banishing once more to the dismal realm  
The envious brother”

When Aro had concluded his translation, the room was quiet. 

“So what does it mean?” Seth finally asked.

“Certain things are fairly obvious, but others do not make sense to me,” Aro mused. “Jane, perhaps you could share your thoughts afterwards. You are well-versed in Greek History, Religion and Mythology. But the first passage speaks of souls descending to Haides, which is the underworld. The necromancer could refer to Hekate, especially with the Empusae and Lamiae involved. And if it does indeed speak of Hekate then the violated goddess can only be. . .”

“Persephone,” Jane finished. “The daughter of Demeter, and Queen of the Underworld. Kidnapped and most likely raped by Haides to be his bride. Goddess of spring growth. I don't like the word 'conflagration' though, Aro. How is it used?”

“I wrote out copies of the original script; they are on my desk.”

Jane searched the symbols for a minute, then turned to the second sheet and searched there. Back and forth she went, before she spoke. “I think it would be more accurate to say 'fiery conflict', Aro, although considering the flammable nature of our bodies 'conflagration' may be exactly what it ends up being. The second text seems to infer a battle will need to take place also.”

“Let us do all we can to ensure that any permanent loss of life or limb is unlikely,” Caius growled. “We will need to step up training for all the guards, as well as run emergency drills with the humans, in case the enemy comes to the castle. Bella should also work on her gift, or gifts, as the case may be.”

“The second passage is interesting,” Marcus spoke. “The ancient bond is ours, and the nymph must refer to Bella. But who is the envious brother? One of us, or are we the chosen sons? I think the latter is far more likely, as our bond with each other, and with Bella, seems to make the former impossible.”

“Haides,” Jane said, after a thoughtful pause. “The dismal realm. It makes sense. He lost the rule over the Earth and the Sea when he, Zeus and Poseidon drew lots to see how they would divide this realm. But that would mean,” she stopped, looking horrified.

“That our enemies are Haides, Hekate and Persephone,” Aro finished grimly.

Jasper felt fear permeate the room, and took a deep breath. Summoning all his army training – both vampire and human – he gathered his resolve, and sent it back into the room. Wilted shoulders straightened, and those who needed to breathe stopped gasping for air.

“There is more to it,” he said after the atmosphere had relaxed. “Violence and fear strengthen whose power? Hekate's, Haides, or does it just make the Empusae and Lamaie stronger? And in the other text, what does 'sustained by life of ancient life' mean? And how are we to fight the Gods?”

“You will not fight the Gods,” a voice familiar to Rose and Jasper rang out. The two turned, dropping to their knees when they saw Artemis and Herakles standing near the doors. Caius stood slowly, awestruck at the sight, before he, too, knelt.

As if that was a signal, each of the vampires, as well as Seth and Bella, knelt before the powerful beings.

Artemis bid them all rise, going over to Bella first, and offering her hand. The stunned brunette took it, allowing the Goddess to pull her close. Artemis tilted Bella's chin up with her forefinger, looking deep into her green-and-gold starburst eyes.

“I have not seen a nymph in the mortal realm in many an age,” she said. “You, young one, have great strength. Your union, libidinous though it may be, has been Blessed. You will triumph. Of this I am certain.”

Artemis then turned to Jane, engulfing the small vampire in a loving hug. “You are a true treasure, Jane of the Volturi. Chaste still, in this ever lust-filled world.” Jane lowered her eyes. If she had blood in her veins, it would have been heating the skin of her cheeks.

Smiling, the Goddess continued. “You would be a welcome addition to my companions in our realm, but I see you have found your mate at last. Have a care that you do not allow carnal thoughts to cloud your good sense. Build a solid foundation first, and you will find your union abundantly blessed.”

“Thank-you, my Lady,” Jane replied, as she glared around the room, daring anyone to comment further. They all wisely kept their mouths shut, though Seth took Jane's small hand in his and held it, grinning down at her.

“My Lady.” Once more it was Rosalie who steered the conversation back to the matter at hand. “If we will not have to fight the Gods, why does this text seem to indicate that we must drive Haides back?”

It was Herakles who answered. “The text you speak of a prophecy spoken by Apollon himself, just days after he came to possess the oracle at Delphi.” Standing taller than any in the room save Emmett, yet just as broad as the large vampire, the Hero of Greek legend was impressive.

“Our time in this realm was filled with what people consider mystical, magical, or fantastic. While mortals feared the Gods, and rightly so, there was little that could instill bone-deep terror in the common people.

“Today humans in this realm want to explain everything by their own science, and their own laws. How do you explain to most people on Earth today that the laws of physics are flexible? That being dead does not mean that you cannot live? The potential for an atmosphere of desperate horror is so much greater now than it has ever been. Add to that the number of mortals walking this plane, their propensity for violence, and the raw, unprejudiced power of the weapons so freely obtained in this age, and Hekate can deliver to Haides that which she promised, in exchange for Persephone's freedom.”

“And what would that be?” questioned Caius.

“Total dominion over the Earth, Sea, and Underworld. He would enslave the mortal plane, and cast his brothers into Tartaros, to exist in everlasting combat with their father and the rest of the imprisoned Titans.”

Artemis's voice was void of any emotion, but her cold recitation of Haides plans chilled even the ice in the assembled vampires' veins.


	31. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"How?" was the only word that Bella could form, after she had recovered from her initial terror "And what about Persephone?.

"The realm of Haides is not pleasant," Artemis's voice was flat. "It is dark, full of shadows, and without a glimmer of hope or happiness. The souls sent there wail in unceasing torment. It used to be that Charon would not ferry across the Acheron river any who did not have proper payment, by way of proper burial rights, but since the customs of the Gods has long since been lost to mortals, there is now no payment to cross. There are few now who do not pass the adamantine gates to stand before Haides and the three judges. Very few. Persephone, Queen of the Underworld though she may be, never desired the role. She has always been the Goddess of Spring Growth, just as her mother Demeter is the Goddess of Agriculture. She was taken against her will, and tricked into having to return each winter. Long has she craved her freedom."

Artemis's explanation was taken over by Herakles. "We have known that something is amiss for quite some time. Ever has Haides coveted the domains that belong to his brothers. Poseidon and Zeus have suspected that Hekate has been trying to find a way to increase the power of the underworld, and thus Haides himself, for a very long time. Zeus has discovered that she has very recently succeeded. She has managed to harness the power of violent and terror-filled death. The more turbulent the dark emotion a soul, not permitted into Elysium, is in when it arrives in the underworld, the greater the benefit to Haides."

Jasper's mind went back to his time spent in the vampire wars. He shuddered, remembering well the fear and destruction just a few dozen vampires could wreak.

"My God," he breathed, "would there be anything left of this world by the time they were done? Humans would never recover."

"That, I think, is the point, child," Herakles answered. "Although there is much wrong with their plan. But the actions of the Gods will not be your concern. As you and Rosalie know, the Lamaie and Empusae have infiltrated this world. They will be the ones to begin this war. They will be your enemy. Defeat them, and you will not have to face the Gods. Fail, and with your power, your souls will bring victory to the very force you seek to stop."

"We didn't find out who they were, my Lord," Rosalie felt the need to remind the once-mortal. "We couldn't figure out which form they had taken."

"I believe, daughter," Artemis responded, "and Zeus and Poseidon agree, that we could not identify them before because they had not yet taken a form. Much like we appear before you, and yet cannot be physically in this realm, they were incorporeal."

"But you touched Jane," Seth interrupted. "Bella too. How can you do that if you aren't physically here?"

"They are lesser spirits, young one, and we are Gods." Herakles's answer was succinct. "Since we quit this plane, and humans stopped believing in the Gods, the mortal realm can no longer sustain us for very long, which is why you will not see Hekate here herself. But we are able to manifest for very short periods of time, and she may manifest to her followers, as we manifest to you.

"Zeus believes that, with her new discovery for Haides, Hekate has also enabled the spirits to possess a weakened soul, allowing them to dwell in the mortal plane in physical form indefinitely. A mortal would not suit her purpose – that of petrifying fear and death – so we are certain that the daimones have sought shelter within the sons and daughters of Mormo. There would be an affinity."

"We still don't know how to find them," Emmett was beginning to realize just how grave the situation was. Part of his mind thought back in horror to the danger his Rosie had been in her entire immortal life. "And now we don't even know where Carlisle is, if he's even involved with this. Maybe he's just an evil bastard."

"And an idiot," added Bella. "If he's involved, then what does he think is going to happen once Haides has the power he wants? Does Carlisle really think that Haides won't want the power in his soul? Or Alice's? The very existence of vampires has got to piss Haides off. Nothing worse than a death where he can't claim the soul, I would think."

"And once Zeus and Poseidon have been imprisoned, Haides will have no further use for our kind," agreed Caius. "Humans are more than capable of providing enough death and destruction on their own. Vampires just add the terror, and supernatural violence."

"We must find Carlisle, if he is our only lead then," Aro opened a file on his laptop, printing the long list that came up. "Demetri should be able to locate him, once he is able to return to his duties. In the meantime, we should also try to contact as many vampires as we can, to join us here. It seems this fight will ensure the survival of our race, as well as that of the humans. Perhaps one of them will have news about Carlisle."

"How will we know that the vampires you call aren't the bad guys?" Seth asked.

"If they arrive in Volterra, I can determine their mind, and Jasper can read the purity of their soul. If they choose not to come – well, that's a risk we will have to take," Aro said. "They fight will come to us anyway, according to the prophecy."

Artemis and Herakles inclined their heads, agreeing with Aro's statement. Without another word, Herakles melted away. Artemis looked once more to Bella and her mates. Addressing the half-nymph, half-vampire, she said, "Find the strength in your bond, young one. Nymphs are ever in tune with the energy of nature around them. Learn to find it, within yourself, within your mates, and all around you. Succeed, and you will be the saviour of your world.

"We cannot come back to you now. Zeus has called us all to prepare against Haides and Hekate. May you find victory over our enemies."

With that parting blessing, Artemis also vanished, leaving the room's occupants in silent contemplation.

"Hey Aro," Seth piped up finally, "Weren't you going to get me a cell phone?"

Jane hissed at her mate, appalled by his inappropriate behaviour. He looked at her innocently.

"What?" he asked. "When we got on the plane to Washington Aro said he'd get me one. I'm just saying – I could help phone all those vampy names if I had one. After I phased to talk to Jake, of course."

Aro chuckled at the young shifter. Nothing, it seemed, held the boy's spirits down for long. Not even the prospect of fighting off underworld demons to prevent the devil himself from overrunning all of creation.

"Seth, my young friend," Aro beamed, clapping an arm around the young man's shoulders. "I have not shown you my favourite room in the castle."

The ancient vampire ignored his brothers' groans, smiling slightly as he misinterpreted Bella's soft sound as a needy moan. "Don't mind Marcus and Caius. They always take a few years to embrace new technology. Jane, too. Do you know it took her two and a half decades to get used to the electric light?

"Come," he continued, as Seth choked back a laugh. "I have just the phone for you. And you are welcome to any of the computers or game consoles in the storage room. They are woefully underutilized, in my opinion."

E&E&EEE&E&E

Carlisle dragged Alice along, as he marched through the snow up to the house. It was the blackest part of night, but the stars shone brightly above, casting light enough for the vampires to see quite clearly. Alice and Carlisle were both dirty and bloody, and Alice's clothes showed evidence of her brutal treatment at Carlisle's hands. The two had not left New York immediately after all. Carlisle had opted to stay for just over a week, in case the others returned. He had also thought it important to keep up his human facade. He did not want to ruin centuries of preparations if there was no reason. So, he had gone through the motions of Christmas and New Year's at the hospital, using the absence of Esme, and a 'family emergency', to establish a need for a sabbatical.

The first week of the new year, he and Alice had boarded a plane to Anchorage and had run the rest of the way to Denali, instead of renting a vehicle. The run had been interspersed with explosions of fury from Carlisle, and Alice had more than once been tossed into a tree or outcropping of rock. He was livid that there was no sign of his wayward coven, and intensely frustrated at the delay getting to Alaska. Humans and their incessant need for celebrations!

Alice had not told him that she was almost certain the rest of their coven were with the Quileute. She had been completely Blind the day the coven disappeared, but her Sight seemed to have returned, at least a little. She had caught flashes of both Jane Volturi and Edward with Quileute adults, and one of Emmett hunting in an area that had foliage identical to that found on the Olympic Peninsula. She would save her revelations until they reached Denali, where she would be saved from Carlisle's wrath when he learned that the Quileute were most likely allies of the Volturi, and that their former coven-mates had also taken shelter with the wolves.

Carlisle threw her into the snow at the base of the door. "Useless!" he spat at her, "Completely useless! Hekate herself oversaw your change, when she traced the mortal line of Iamos to you. You were honoured to have been watched over so closely by a Goddess, and look at the pathetic waste of venom you have become! Puny, without an ounce of true vampire ferocity, and now even your Gift has deserted you."

The door opened as he drew back a foot to kick her. "Carlisle!" he heard, before he was backhanded into the snow. "You do not know as much as you think, child! You have been granted a great deal of latitude in this vengeful endeavour of yours, but no longer! Before this day is through, you will know your place."

Carlisle looked up into a dusky face he had know for many decades. Now, however, red eyes gleamed where there was once gold. He got up and stepped back, bowing low. "Mistress Mormo, forgive me, but this female," he sneered, "was sent to assist me in my plan to avenge my mate, and to aid us in ridding the world of the Volturi. But her Sight no longer works, and she has no other skill to help either you or me."

Mormo looked disgusted at the male, and then crouched down to brush Alice's disheveled hair smooth. "Welcome, daughter," the spirit said.

Alice leaned into the hand, relieved that the time she had awaited for centuries had finally arrived. "Mother, it is good to see you again.

"Mother?" Carlisle scoffed. "How do you come to call our Mistress that, Alice?"

"My Mistress has ever been the Goddess Hekate, Carlisle!" Alice snapped, standing next to the spirit and straightening her clothing. "It is she to whom we have reported. You have been told to obey Mormo; I have not. As to how – do you really think that the mortal line of Iamos would have survived the millennia with such strength as to produce a Seer? My Sight may be limited right now, but for three thousand years I have Seen truly. Until I was sent to aid a pitiful excuse for a vampire with his sad little vendetta, and was forced to endure the filthy blood of animals."

"I had such high hope for you, Carlisle," Mormo lamented. "When I saw you tear out your own dead heart to burn, and felt the fury and hate in your soul, I thought I had found the perfect being to spread the terror that my Mistress was seeking to harness. A vampire ferocious enough to decimate an entire people, yet calculating enough to break their spirit first, even if he had to wait centuries. A vampire who truly understood how we were superior to humans.

"And yet you lost your way. I suspect the animal blood did not help. The more you planned, the more complicated your plan became, and the further from your goal you were. Hekate and I allowed you to build your little family when Edward was found to be so Gifted after he was turned. But you failed to sway him to our cause. You failed to sway any of them."

"Mistress," Carlisle protested, "My plan would have worked. I have been at peace with the Quileute for decades. They would have fought with us. I know it! They still will."

Alice snorted, feeling brave with Mormo at her side. "Carlisle, you are an idiot. Those mangy mongrels never trusted you. Even I know that, and I can See nothing around them. But I tell you now that your plan has failed. Your whole plan.

"Poor Carlisle," she mocked, "The wolves may not have been your allies before, but they were not your enemies until you allowed Edward to convince you to leave that stupid mortal Bella. You think you persuaded him to leave, but you have never been the leader my mother hoped you would be. You think you would have returned to her, but I never Saw you make that decision. You did not actually make a decision to return until I convinced you that we would be able to make her pliable after Edward so conveniently shattered her spirit."

"And yet you did not See truly there, either, daughter. Hekate is still angry with you for missing the importance of Edward's human pet. However, she has learned that Iamos himself has tainted your Sight. He has protected the human, and those agents of the Gods who have been working against us. The shield the human carries was a gift from Apollon at her birth. We cannot fault you for that. Tell me, what have you Seen recently?"

With a glance at Carlisle, Alice responded, "Mother, I do believe that the Volturi have made an alliance with the Quileute, and that the Shifters are protecting Edward. Emmett also seems to be in that area, which would mean his mate is there as well. I do not know about Jasper or Esme, but I would assume they are with the others. I just don't know why. Everything points to a spy in our midst. Edward himself, perhaps. Or Esme. She knew what Carlisle was capable of, and Edward could read minds. I am certain the wolves are our enemies now."

Carlisle bellowed in rage at her words, leaping at Alice with black eyes and curled fingers. He spat venom as he vented his spleen, "You hid this from me!? How long have you known? I would have. . ."

"Done nothing, as you have done for three hundred years!" spat Alice, stepping lightly out of the way. "Except scheme, and plan, weakening your mind and body with rancid blood. I have Seen a thousand outcomes to our plans, from complete victory to utter defeat, but I have never once seen the fierce Carlisle Cullen anywhere near the field of battle. In fact, I think I would be more likely to find you whimpering underneath the bed when that day comes."

Carlisle continued to come at Alice, nearly mindless with anger. She dodged each attack as Mormo spoke.

"After we have decimated the Volturi and Haides has taken his place as ruler of all creation, he may allow you to kill or enslave as many of the Quileute as you desire. You could still get your revenge, Carlisle, even if it not the way your envisioned it."

The blonde male shook the simmering anger down, continuing to glare at the small vampire who was the object of his ire.

"If that is what this has come to, then I shall live for that day, Mistress." he gritted through his teeth. There was a pause before he continued, looking as though the effort of civility pained him. "You have not explained how Alice is your daughter, Mistress. Had I but known. . ."

"I am not sure you would have done anything differently, Carlisle. Obsequious though you may be, you are also full of your own importance. Until you saw for yourself that someone is, in fact, above you, you will treat them worse than the dirt ground into your shoe.

"But I will explain. Alice is one of only two original mortal-plane vampires still in existence. Turned by the child born of my womb. She is more a child to me than any other vampire save Amun, and he has turned weak and cowardly, hiding away with his coven. Hekate and I sent my daughter to you to try to guide you back to the right path. But you refused to accept even the most overt suggestions, and now you must complete this our way."

"Mother," Alice interrupted, growing tired of Carlisle and the conversation. She had been subjected to his blathering about revenge for the last sixty years, after all. "Carmen's body looks good on you. Was she easy to possess?"

"She has a strong spirit," the Daimone replied, "but I was able to subdue her. Forgoing human blood really does weaken your kind - mind, body, and soul. The other three females have been overtaken by same of my lesser sisters. It was easier for them, since the three retain their succubus heritage, making our spirits compatible, in a way. Yet we search for more. The male here has been decidedly difficult. I have torn him apart and left him without sustenance. We will see if that brings him low."

A svelte strawberry blond sauntered to the door, hips swaying with each step she took. "If it were up to me, we would not seek males for possession. They pollute the essence of what we are."

"Silence!" Mormo chastised the spirit in Tanya's body. "We will make do with what we get, and our reward will be to bathe in the virility and blood of young men once more."

"There are many young men in this age happy to share carnal pleasures with other men," Carlisle put in, although he himself sneered at the thought. "Even if the others possess male vampires, they will be able to sate their desires with the flesh and blood of human men, as they always have."

"Mother," Alice relished rubbing in Carlisle's face how close she was to Mormo, and, by extension, to Hekate. "It may not be necessary to seek out vampires to possess. Why not turn them ourselves? If the Daimones could control the bloodlust, then they would gain the advantage of the newborn strength and speed, without the major disadvantages of irrationality and impetuousness."

"It should be a fairly simple matter to overcome a soul at the moment of death, before they realize that life has not left them. They would be at their weakest then," Mormo mused, leading the way into the Denali house. "It is a good plan, Alice. While we cannot turn humans in our spirit forms, while we are in these bodies, their venom will act for us.

"We will begin tonight. Let us visit the nearby cities. You, my daughter, have not had a decent meal in a very long time, and this fool," Mormo jerked her head toward a still-scowling Carlisle, "has been starving himself his entire immortal life. We will find our blood-feast, and hosts for my lesser sisters. My daimones are ready to be one with a flesh-form."

"We will have to be careful not to cause too many to disappear from any one place at once, if we want to remain circumspect," Alice cautioned, but there was excitement in her voice. She was looking forward to human blood again. It had been too long.

Mormo nodded and turned to Carlisle, "You have no more reason to deny yourself your nature, child. Do you agree? No residual moral qualms; no reverence for human existence; no more treaties requiring an upstanding, compassionate and ethical front? You will dine as the vampire I saw all those years ago, with raw savagery, indulging fully in your true spirit?"

The blond male nodded, "I will Mistress. And I will turn whomever you wish me to, be they hale or sickly."

"Good. Then let us hunt. Tanya, Kate, Irina! You will also come with us."

"What will we do about Eleazar, Mormo?" the spirit in Irina asked.

"Leave him scattered until we determine the effectiveness of our plan to possess a newly-created vampire. We can deal with him when we return."


	32. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Garrett crept up to the Denali house, every sense fully alert. Mouth slightly open, he breathed in through his nose, allowing himself to scent and taste the air around him. His eyes darted every which way as he strained to hear and distinguish each sound he could. He heard the soft rustle of new flakes hitting the snow-covered ground, the whisper of the breeze through the evergreens, and the rapid scurrying of a small animal deep in the forest. But he did not hear any vampire sounds. No murmurs of conversation or hint of movement. 

He smelled traces of vampires a few hours old leading away south, but not yet returning. Five females, and with them he scented Carlisle. It had been decades since he'd seen or heard from the leader of the Cullen coven. Once Garrett had considered Carlisle one of his closest friends. Until Jasper and Peter had suggested it would be wiser to keep his distance.

The two vampire war veterans had not provided any reasons, or gone into any detail, but he had known them both for years and trusted their judgment. That, and their reputations preceded them. You didn't just brush off vampires whose very skin spoke of a vicious fight for survival.

That was the reason he was currently skulking in the underbrush outside the Alaskan coven's home. Jasper had called him out of the blue, and was very happy when he heard Garrett was on the West Coast. He had asked him to run up to Denali and – carefully! - check the area. The Major couldn't tell Garrett what he would encounter, but he was told, repeatedly, that if he was outnumbered at all, he should gather whatever intelligence he could, and then run the fuck away.

He still couldn't believe he'd agreed to go to Volterra, into the very heart of the self-proclaimed vampire Kings' lair. 

Finally deciding that there was only one vampire still around, he followed the rather overpowering scent that remained. Usually, when a vampire's scent was that strong, there had been a lot of venom spilled. Garrett cautiously entered the house, slinking from room to room, until he found the dismembered male. Deciding that this vampire could conceivably be considered intelligence, he found a couple of duffel bags, stuffing a few limbs and the head in one, and the rest of the body in the other. He wasn't going to take the time to reassemble an unknown vampire right now.

Finding nothing else of interest in the house, he gathered up the bags and ran like hell. He would call Jasper when he was well away from this area.

E&E&E&E

“Fuck!” Bella cursed, stamping her foot in frustration. It had been four days since they had spoken to Artemis and Herakles, and she still couldn't get anywhere with her gifts. Hours of effort, and she still could not extend her shield consciously, or cause any sort of plant life to so much as quiver, let alone appear out of thin air. On the other hand, thanks in large part to Jasper, she was becoming quite adept at hand-to-hand combat. Her mates could not bring themselves to spar with her, and had wanted to wait until Demetri or Felix could train her, but the two were still locked in their room with Leah.

All the supernaturals in the castle had learned this week that soundproofing did not completely muffle the sounds of a she-wolf in heat. Seth had been spending a lot of time roaming the countryside with Jane. When he was in the castle, he was profoundly grateful for headphones and Aro's new Xbox 360.

“Enough,” Caius called. He had been watching with his brothers from the edge of the large outdoor training area. The three of them could barely contain their growls each time the scarred Major laid a hand on their mate. Caius walked over to his Bella, nodding curtly at Jasper, who nodded back and went to greet Alec.

“Come, my darling,” The blond King tucked Bella's hand into the crook of his elbow, and led to a table that had been set up for her. “We have called for food and blood; it will be here shortly.” Ever since the incident with the Sisters, Caius had been especially careful when Bella started to get upset or frustrated. 

Marcus and Aro stood to join Emmett and Jasper in the middle of the field. The Kings had been taking an active part in the training and practice sessions – as long as their Bella was safely out of the way. They had agreed to spar with her by their side soon, but adamantly refused to ever square off against their mate. 

Emmett charged Marcus, lowering his head in an attempt to barrel into the older vampire's chest. Marcus allowed the impact, but stepped back and to the side, using the larger vampire's momentum to help propel him around and into a nearby wall. Without a pause, Emmett ran up the concrete surface, flipping back and over the ancient. He kicked out a leg toward Marcus's chest, and when the ancient caught it, Emmett swung the other around, connecting hard with the side of Marcus's head, knocking him to the ground. The King released Emmett's leg as he dropped, and the large vampire just managed to land on his feet before they were swept out from under him.

“You are improving, Mr. McCarty, but you still have much to learn.” Marcus rose to his feet, and offered a hand to help Emmett up. “Continue to work with Major Whitlock; he has proven to be an excellent trainer.”

Emmett nodded in agreement. When the Kings had first observed the burly vampire fight, they had shaken their heads, and questioned Jasper extensively on his supposed experience.

“Did you really think I would teach vampires I never trusted how to fight effectively?” Jasper had responded. “Rose is the only one who knows my true skill, and there was never much time to train her properly.”

The Kings noted that Rosalie was a far better fighter than her husband. While not nearly at a level they considered appropriate for the Volturi guard, she was lithe and quick and smart, with few bad habits that needed breaking. She just needed practice.

Emmett, on the other hand, fought like a rabid newborn. There was no nuance or thought in his strategy. He just charged forward, content to rely solely on brute strength to defeat his foe. That might have worked when he was sparring with the Cullen coven, but here in Volterra, he had had a rude awakening.

The first time Jasper had demonstrated his full range of abilities to the Kings, Emmett had shaken his head in awe. He himself had just been thoroughly defeated by Renata, who was tiny compared to most in the room. She had not even used her gift.

After Jasper's response, Aro demanded that the scarred vampire demonstrate his full range of abilities. If Jasper wanted to serve as a personal guard to their mate, he would have to prove his worth to the Masters. Jasper nodded and called for Santiago, Afton, and two lower guards to test themselves against the him. They had looked at him in disbelief when he insisted that they come at him together, holding nothing back.

The Major impressed them with his melee expertise, even before they experienced his gift. The lower guards and Afton had to have limbs reattached, and Santiago quickly found himself on his back, with a knee against his spine and teeth at his neck.

“If I were truly in combat, what you just saw would have come with a heavy dose of whatever I thought suited the occasion best.” Jasper proceeded to rapidly pump out various feelings he had found useful in battle before. Fear or lethargy were always good, but he found that a cocktail of recklessness, determination, anxiety, confidence, terror and ambition could overcome even the strategic mind of a highly trained vampire. Indeed, even the Volturi guard became sloppy when hit with the full force of Jasper's projections.

Every being in the area, with the exception of Bella and the Kings, had dropped to the ground, breathing heavily. The Senior guard had been up seconds later, wavering, but still ready to fight. The Lower guard who were present took significantly longer to get back up. Seth just laid there breathing heavily, Jane standing over him with her teeth bared and a fierce growl rumbling in her chest.

From then on, Emmett spent every moment he could training with Jasper. Alec, who was never far from his mate, Rosalie, Jane and Seth joined their group. The two Volturi Elite guard were as not quite as adept at melee combat as Jasper, but they were more in tune with their gifts. They had not spent decades weak from an improper diet, nor had they ever been out-of-practice with their gifts.

Bella sat back from her empty plate with a content sigh, sipping her blood and watching Aro and Jasper fight. Even though she had no conscious control over her shield, she somehow had managed to protect her mates. Jasper's gift no longer worked on her, and it did not work on the Kings, either. 

The Ancients were highly skilled fighters, and more than a match for Major Whitlock without his gift. During their immortal lives, they had spent more time in combat than all the time Jasper had existed. Still, Jasper managed to keep Aro to a stalemate today. Each vampire tried hard to out-maneuver the other, with no success. Finally, Aro relaxed out of his crouch, and Jasper followed suit.

“A pleasure as always, Major Whitlock,” Aro congratulated, inclining his head. Without waiting for a reply, he strode back to Bella, but stopped short of reaching her. He took in her flushed face and shallow breath, and the black eyes of his brothers with her. Inhaling, he smelled the sweet scent of her arousal. It seems my Bella enjoyed watching me fight today, he thought with a smirk.

Catching his brothers' eyes, Aro nodded, then pulled Bella to her feet. They hurriedly bid the occupants of the training room farewell. Before they were even through the door, he had Bella in his arms, running to their chamber.

Aro pulled Bella up to straddle him as they approached their door. His length was rigid, aching to be inside her. Catching his lips, she plunged her tongue into his mouth, as she ground her wet core against his hardness.

Caius opened the door and slammed it shut as soon as the four were through. Before another second had passed, he had shed his clothing, and Bella was held against him, back to his front, still straddling Aro. She ran her hands down Aro's back, using her new strength to rip his fight-tattered shirt from his body. Hers was dealt with in the same manner by both her mates.

Marcus stood to the side, naked, with his cock in his fist. Caius was grinding his erection against Bella's still-clothed behind, his mouth and teeth attacking her neck, while hands at her breasts kneaded roughly. Aro held his mate's hips tightly, rocking against her heated core, his pants straining under his turgid member. His lips were wherever he could reach – face and neck and shoulders – each piece of skin more tempting to him than the last. 

Caius finally pulled Bella off Aro, carrying her to their large bed. The black-haired king wasted no time removing his pants, joining his brothers and their Bella in a tangle of panting flesh.

Bella was pressed face down on the smooth bedding, her pants gone before she could even blink. She felt Caius hand settle on her smooth mound, his fingers resting against her tight bundle of nerves. His weight came down on her, covering her completely, as he pushed his hips into her backside. His hardness, slick with his own arousal, slid against the cleft of her ass, and pushed her clit against his marble hand. Caius's other hand held both of hers over her head, and his face was buried in her hair at the nape of her neck.

Bella should have felt trapped by the heavy vampire basically holding her down, but she did not. Caius was entirely tender with her, but since the four of them had come together completely, he had not restrained himself while making love to her. He took, and she wanted. Gods, how she wanted!

Bella's mewling cries of need were muffled by the bedding. Turning her face, she gasped for air. “Please, Caius!” she begged. “I need you. I need my mates.” She tried to grind herself onto his hand faster, but his body left her little room to move.

All three of her mates chuckled at Bella's plea. Never one to deny her, Caius turned her over, bending to take a nipple into his mouth. Bella surged up and used her strength to roll them both so that she now looked down on her white-haired mate.

She smiled down at the vampire beneath her, pushing her wetness against him. Turning the tables, she captured his hands in her own, then set her teeth against his neck, nipping hard. Caius arched up, but Bella pulled away, teasing him as he teased her. She squealed with laughter as Marcus caught her around the waist and tossed her higher on the bed. He jumped up next to her, pulling her over him and entering her in one smooth movement.

“Oh Gods!” Bella gasped, shuddering. She started to pant as Marcus set the pace, thrusting up into her, his hands at her hips to lift her up and down. She began to move with him, undulating her hips with each downward thrust. She felt lips at her neck, and tossed her head to one side to allow Aro to nibble and suck over her mating mark. The marks were always so sensitive when one of the Kings paid attention to them.

Aro's hands ran over her breasts and down her stomach. He skimmed her clit, circling it lightly before moving his hands to her bottom. He popped the cap on the lube, coating his finger and gently prodding his sweet Bella's pucker. It had surprised them all how much she enjoyed anal sex the first time she allowed them to have her, but perhaps it should not have. She was, after all, meant for them – for all of them.

Aro's finger entered her, soon followed by a second. Bella barely flinched, her movements on Marcus never faltering. Any tension was gone in a scant second before she relaxed without a conscious thought. Aro coated himself with lube, and removed his fingers from her. That, and a gentle hand on her lower back were all the signal Bella needed to pause. Marcus stilled as well, and Bella felt Aro's thick cock enter her back entrance slowly.

She closed her eyes, letting out a low moan at the sensation of being stretched and filled so well. When her black-haired mate had pushed his way into her completely, he and Marcus started to move in tandem, pushing and pulling with caring passion. Marcus pulled her to his chest, laying her cheek against him, and stroking her hair. The pace was slow and tender, and Bella's eyes sought the mate who was not currently one with her. Caius lay next to Marcus, and it was his hand, not Marcus's, that stroked her hair. He smiled at his love, and she smiled back.

Their stare never broke, even as Marcus and Aro's thrusts became more rapid. When Bella's breath heaved, and her body tensed and the sensation overtook her, their gaze remained locked on each other. Caius watched her pupils dilate and her skin flush as she cried out at the height of her orgasm. And finally, when her other two mates had spilled themselves inside her body, Caius leaned forward, and caught her mouth with his. Her eyes fluttered shut and she breathed in the scent of her mates and of sex.

Aro pulled away from Bella, drawing a soft moan from his tiny mate. He went to the washroom to clean himself and get a damp cloth for Bella. When he returned, Bella was on her knees in front of Caius, her beautiful lips stretched over his cock. He lay the cloth to one side and followed Marcus to their closet to dress once more, leaving Caius and Bella to their love-play.

E&E&E&E&E

It was several hours later when the group emerged from their wing of the castle. They returned to the throne room, where the entire Elite Guard were waiting, along with Seth.

“Demetri, Felix, I trust your mate is well?” Marcus inquired upon seeing the two present.

“She is well, Master Marcus,” Felix's smile was cocky, but full of love. “She is resting. The last few days have been taxing for one who requires sleep.”

“The last few days nearly wore me out, and I haven't needed sleep in a millennium,” Demetri said with a chuckle.

Seth groaned. “That's my sister you're talking about, and I'm probably going to see things through the pack mind that I didn't even want to hear. Thanks a lot.”

“Take heart, young Seth,” Aro replied with a mischievous grin. “I am sure a time will come when you will be able to repay your sister in equal measure.”

Seth blushed furiously at the King's words, trying to look anywhere but at his tiny mate. Jane's face was a study in mortification, although it did not change colour.

Bella smacked Aro's shoulder, and glared at the rest of the assembled vampires, who were failing to hold in laughter. “Enough, all of you. Jeepers, no wonder Jane likes to share her gift so freely. If you teased me like that, and I had her talent, I'd have you writhing on the ground, too. Demetri, Felix, I'm glad you had an enjoyable time. Is Emmett still training with Jasper, Alec?”

Before the guard could respond, Afton entered the room with a strange male. The newcomer had the look of a longtime nomad, and carried two large duffel bags with him. They smelled strongly of venom, and it was a scent the Kings and Guard knew well.

“What is the meaning of this?” Caius demanded.

“My name in Garrett,” the male replied, before Afton could answer. “I was asked by Jasper Whitlock to scout the Denali territory and bring back any useful information if I could. I know Carlisle, along with five females were there recently. They were gone when I got there, but I do not know if they will return. I also found a male vampire torn to pieces. I don't know who, but thought he might know something, so I brought him with me.”

“The male you have brought back is Eleazar,” Aro informed the nomad. “He served in our guard several decades before he found his mate in Carmen. Together they joined the Denali sisters. Afton will see to his reconstruction. I would like to know everything, sir. Have you heard of my talent?”

Garrett passed the bags to the guard, who quickly left the room, and offered Aro his hand. “I have heard of it,” he said simply.


End file.
